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The corporate reporting of a health crisis: The case of HIV/AIDS in South Africa

The corporate reporting of a health crisis: The case of HIV/AIDS in South Africa
The corporate reporting of a health crisis: The case of HIV/AIDS in South Africa
This study examines how companies report their involvement and response to a major health crisis, namely HIV/AIDS. In light of the significant impact this epidemic has caused in South Africa over the last two decades, we analyse the corporate disclosure behaviour of a sample of 75 companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). We also study whether a reporting guidance issued by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) in 2003 ensured a more consistent and complete reporting of corporate activities aimed at tackling HIV/AIDS in the workplace. Based on a longitudinal analysis of the annual and sustainability reports from 2003 to 2009, we find an increased volume of HIV/AIDS related disclosures post-2003 and a subsequent decline post-2006. We also find a very limited, and sometimes selective, adherence to the disclosure of indicators recommended by the GRI guidance. We conclude that the increase and subsequent decrease in disclosures are primarily motivated by the need to manage stakeholder (employees) and to maintain and gain moral legitimacy.
hiv, aids, social reporting, social disclosure, south africa
University of Southampton
Soobaroyen, Teerooven
6686e2f8-564f-4f7f-b079-9dc8a2f53a48
Ntim, Collins G.
1f344edc-8005-4e96-8972-d56c4dade46b
Soobaroyen, Teerooven
6686e2f8-564f-4f7f-b079-9dc8a2f53a48
Ntim, Collins G.
1f344edc-8005-4e96-8972-d56c4dade46b

Soobaroyen, Teerooven and Ntim, Collins G. (2011) The corporate reporting of a health crisis: The case of HIV/AIDS in South Africa Southampton, GB. University of Southampton 36pp. (Submitted)

Record type: Monograph (Working Paper)

Abstract

This study examines how companies report their involvement and response to a major health crisis, namely HIV/AIDS. In light of the significant impact this epidemic has caused in South Africa over the last two decades, we analyse the corporate disclosure behaviour of a sample of 75 companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). We also study whether a reporting guidance issued by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) in 2003 ensured a more consistent and complete reporting of corporate activities aimed at tackling HIV/AIDS in the workplace. Based on a longitudinal analysis of the annual and sustainability reports from 2003 to 2009, we find an increased volume of HIV/AIDS related disclosures post-2003 and a subsequent decline post-2006. We also find a very limited, and sometimes selective, adherence to the disclosure of indicators recommended by the GRI guidance. We conclude that the increase and subsequent decrease in disclosures are primarily motivated by the need to manage stakeholder (employees) and to maintain and gain moral legitimacy.

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More information

Submitted date: February 2011
Keywords: hiv, aids, social reporting, social disclosure, south africa
Organisations: Accounting

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 182739
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/182739
PURE UUID: cc8116e0-b66d-4877-b49c-5af2555196b3
ORCID for Teerooven Soobaroyen: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-3340-1666
ORCID for Collins G. Ntim: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-1042-4056

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 28 Apr 2011 10:27
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:35

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Contributors

Author: Teerooven Soobaroyen ORCID iD
Author: Collins G. Ntim ORCID iD

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