Reflection on Sustainability Reporting: Course Name, Semester Details

This report is a reflection on the concept of sustainability reporting, exploring its evolution from a voluntary initiative to a crucial aspect of corporate strategy. The student discusses their learning journey, highlighting the importance of sustainability reporting for enhancing a firm's image and satisfying stakeholders. The report covers key theories like Stakeholder and Legitimacy theories, emphasizing the increasing global adoption of sustainability reporting. The student reflects on the usefulness of sustainability reporting for various stakeholders, including investors and the public, and suggests the need for a dedicated team to ensure transparency and comprehensive reporting. References to key readings, like Ioannou and Serafeim (2017) and Michael John Jones (2011), support the analysis, underscoring the growing significance of sustainability reporting in the business environment. The report concludes with recommendations for improving the reporting system's transparency.

Running head: SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING
SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Reflection Report on Sustainability Reporting
The sustainability reporting can be stated to be an organizational reporting method which
not only throws light on the information regarding the economic, environmental and social
performance but also discusses the governance performance of the firm. The sustainability
reporting is a voluntary initiative which comes from the firm`s internal operations. According to
Ioannou and Serafeim (2017), the reporting is a reflection of the manner in which the firm has
been performing in the long run. In the coursework, I was able to undertake an ideology about
the overall concept of sustainability reporting along with understanding the manner in which the
different companies often engage in sustainability reporting in order to improve its overall image
in the society.
From the various readings of authors like Michael John Jones (2011) and the class notes I
was able to strengthen the overall concepts about the sustainability reporting. I learnt that there
are a number of theories which are related to the sustainability reporting and these comprise of
concepts like the Stakeholder theory and the Legitimacy theory. Earlier, I was under the belief
that sustainability reporting as a concept is not very important, however, lately I have come to
the understanding that it is important for the firm to engage in sustainable reporting as it will
satisfy the different stakeholders which are present for the firm and help in building the overall
brand image. Additionally during the lectures, I came to know that, the sustainability reporting
rate has been increasing worldwide.
Earlier, I was under the impression that the concept of sustainability reporting is largely
voluntary in nature, but currently, I came to know via the lectures that, the sustainability

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reporting is largely voluntary in many countries and the main drivers of the reporting can be
taken to be the national culture. Moreover, the influences under the organizational culture also
influence this aspect (Stacchezzini, Melloni and Lai 2016). Through the readings on the paper, I
was able to understand that, the sustainability reporting will be useful for a large number of
stakeholders like the government, society, employees and the general public. In addition to this,
it can also be taken to be a judging index for the investors to make a choice regarding the
investment.
I am under the belief that with the current need to maintain the good image in an
environment and to ensure that a firm will be able to successfully perform well, more firms will
adopt sustainability reporting around the globe and it will then becoming a compulsory
phenomenon. In order to make the overall reporting system rather transparent in nature, I would
like to recommend that, a dedicated team needs to be hired which will ensure that the different
organizations would be able to provide a 360 degree perspective and thereby enhance the
usefulness of the report to the stakeholders.

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References
Ioannou, I. and Serafeim, G., 2017. The consequences of mandatory corporate sustainability
reporting. Harvard Business School research working paper, (11-100).
Michael John Jones (2011) The nature, use and impression management of graphs in social and
environmental accounting, Accounting Forum, 35:2, 75-89, DOI: 10.1016/ j.accfor.2011.03.002
Stacchezzini, R., Melloni, G. and Lai, A., 2016. Sustainability management and reporting: the
role of integrated reporting for communicating corporate sustainability management. Journal of
Cleaner Production, 136, pp.102-110.