Journal Screenshot

International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting, Finance and Management Sciences

Open Access Journal

ISSN: 2225-8329

Managing Challenges in the Adoption of Integrated Reporting: A Conceptual Exploration of the Malaysia Context

Salsiah Mohd Ali, Syeliya Md Zaini, Siti Syaqilah Binti Hambali, Mazurina Mohd Ali

http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARAFMS/v13-i2/17424

Open access

This concept paper explores the challenges and potential solutions in the adoption of Integrated Reporting (IR) within the context of Malaysia. IR is a comprehensive reporting approach that integrates financial, environmental, social, and governance information to provide a holistic view of a company's performance and value creation. The paper categorizes these challenges into four main areas: Organizational Characteristics and Capabilities, Technological Capability and Security, Governance and Stakeholder Readiness, and Regulatory Environment and Supportive Infrastructure. Within each category, specific challenges are identified, and evidence-based recommendations are provided to address these challenges. The paper emphasizes the importance of strategic alignment, capacity building, stakeholder engagement, and supportive regulatory frameworks in facilitating the successful adoption of IR. The recommendations are tailored to the Malaysian context, taking into account the unique characteristics of Malaysian firms and the regulatory environment. By addressing the challenges discussed and implementing the recommended solutions, Malaysian firms can enhance their readiness for IR adoption, leading to improved transparency, accountability, and long-term value creation. This concept paper serves as a foundation for further research and practical initiatives aimed at advancing the adoption of IR in Malaysia and similar contexts.

Adams, C. A., Potter, B., Singh, P. J., & York, J. (2016). Exploring the implications of integrated reporting for social investment (disclosures). The British Accounting Review, 48(3), 283-296.
Branco, M. C., & Rodrigues, L. L. (2019). The business case for integrated reporting: Insights from leading companies and organizations. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.
Busco, C., Frigo, M. L., Riccaboni, A., & Quattrone, P. (2013). Integrated Reporting: Concepts and Cases that Redefine Corporate Accountability. Springer.
Cheng, M. M., Green, W. J., & Ko, J. C. (2014). The impact of strategic relevance and assurance of sustainability indicators on investors' decisions. Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory, 33(1), 131-147.
Cheng, M., Green, W., Conradie, P., Konishi, N., & Romi, A. (2014). The international integrated reporting framework: Key issues and future research opportunities. Journal of International Financial Management & Accounting, 25(1), 90-119.
Churet, C., & Eccles, R. G. (2014). Integrated reporting, quality of management, and financial performance. Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, 27(1), 56-64.
De Villiers, C., Rinaldi, L., & Unerman, J. (2014). Integrated Reporting: Insights, gaps and an agenda for future research. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 27(7), 1042-1067. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAAJ-06-2013-1385
Du Toit, E. (2017). The readability of integrated reports. Meditari Accountancy Research, 25(4), 629-653.
Dumay, J., Bernardi, C., Guthrie, J., & Demartini, P. (2016). Integrated Reporting: A Structured Literature Review. Accounting Forum, 40(3), 166-185.
Eccles, R. G., & Serafeim, G. (2013). The performance frontier: Innovating for a sustainable strategy. Harvard Business Review, 91(5), 50-60.
Eccles, R. G., & Serafeim, G. (2014). Corporate and Integrated Reporting: A Functional Perspective. In Sustainability Accounting and Accountability (pp. 207-230). Routledge.
Gibassier, D., Rodrigue, M., & Arjalies, D. L. (2018). Integrated Reporting Is Like God: No One Has Met Him, but Everybody Talks About Him. The Routledge Companion to Critical Accounting, 156.
Hahn, R., & Kühnen, M. (2013). Determinants of sustainability reporting: a review of results, trends, theory, and opportunities in an expanding field of research. Journal of Cleaner Production, 59, 5-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.07.005
Hummel, K., & Schlick, C. (2016). The Relationship between Sustainability Performance and Sustainability Disclosure – Reconciling Voluntary Disclosure Theory and Legitimacy Theory. Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, 35(5), 455-476.
Jamal, J., & Ghani, E. K. (2016). Integrated reporting practices among real property listed companies in Malaysia. Management & Accounting Review (MAR), 15(1), 1-25.
Jamil, C. Z. M., & Mohamed, R. (2011). A review of the voluntary disclosure of intellectual capital in Malaysia. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 2(14).
Kolk, A., & Pinkse, J. (2014). Business models for sustainable technologies: Exploring business model evolution in the case of electric vehicles. R&D Management, 44(3), 306-326.
Lai, M. M., & Chong, C. R. (2016). The critical factors that affect the level of financial literacy among young adults in Malaysia. Issues in Social and Environmental Accounting, 10(1), 31-52.
La Torre, M., Bernardi, C., Guthrie, J., & Dumay, J. (2019). Integrated reporting and integrating thinking: Practical challenges. Challenges in managing sustainable business: Reporting, taxation, ethics and governance, 25-54.
Maroun, W., & Tarhini, A. (2019). Examining the relationship between CSR and integrated reporting: The moderating role of firm financial performance. Sustainability, 11(18), 5055.
Neu, D., Everett, J., & Rahaman, A. S. (2017). Corporate governance and sustainability reporting in Canada: A study of environmental, social, and governance disclosures by TSX-listed companies. Journal of Business Ethics, 144(2), 337-359.
Qaderi, S. A., Chandren, S., & Abdullah, Z. (2021). Integrated reporting disclosure in Malaysia: Regulations and practice. Journal of Financial Reporting and Accounting, (ahead-of-print).
Samaha, K., & Dahawy, K. (2016). The relationship between corporate social responsibility disclosure and financial performance: Evidence from Egypt. Corporate Ownership & Control, 13(2-2), 309-318.
Scott, W. R. (2008). Institutions and organizations: Ideas, interests, and identities. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Securities Commission Malaysia. (2014). Corporate Governance Blueprint 2011. Securities Commission Malaysia.
Securities Commission Malaysia. (2017). Roadmap for sustainability and integrated reporting in Malaysia.
Serafeim, G., & Grewal, J. (2016). The impact of a sustainability mandate on company financial risk. Harvard Business School Accounting & Management Unit Working Paper, (16-014).
Simnett, R., & Huggins, A. L. (2015). Integrated Reporting and Assurance: Where Can Research Add Value? Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal, 6(1), 29-53. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAMPJ-03-2014-0019
Stubbs, W., & Higgins, C. (2014). Integrated reporting and internal mechanisms of change. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 27(7), 1068-1089.
Stubbs, W., & Higgins, C. (2014). Stakeholders' Perspectives on the Role of Regulatory Reform in Integrated Reporting. Journal of Business Ethics, 147(3), 489-508.
Stubbs, W., & Higgins, C. (2018). Stakeholders' Perspectives on the Role of Regulatory Reform in Integrated Reporting. Journal of Business Ethics, 147(3), 489-508.
Vitolla, F., Raimo, N., Rubino, M., & Garzoni, A. (2019). The impact of national culture on integrated reporting quality. A stakeholder theory approach. Business strategy and the environment, 28(8), 1558-1571.
Wild, S., & van Staden, C. J. (2013). Integrated Reporting: Initial Analysis of Early Reporters—An Institutional Theory Approach. Australasian Accounting Business and Finance Journal, 7(4), 69-104. https://doi.org/10.14453/aabfj.v7i4.5
Yeoh, P. (2014). Barriers to systematic risk management in Malaysia. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 7(1), 35-45.

In-Text Citation: (Ali et al., 2023)
To Cite this Article: Ali, S. M., Zaini, S. M., Syaqilah, S. B. H., & Ali, M. M. (2023). Managing Challenges in the Adoption of Integrated Reporting: A Conceptual Exploration of the Malaysia Context. International Journal of Academic Research in Accounting Finance and Management Sciences, 13(2), 581–598.