Determinants of CSR Disclosure in the Swedish Setting - Effect of firm/industry charecteistics along with media exposure on CSR disclosure practices

Sammanfattning: Purpose: The purpose of this research is to study the relationship of firm and industry characteristics as well as media exposure with CSRD based on the Swedish corporate setting. Second purpose was to find out which system oriented theory or combination of theories best explain the differences in practices among companies. Third purpose was to compare the results with studies previously done in other countries. Methodology: To achieve our research goal we used combination of both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Theoretical Perspectives: Our research is based on the literature related to the CSR disclosures in the context of system oriented theories, and summaries of the previous researches. Empirical foundation: For empirical research, we collected data for variables related to public pressure, ownership structure & profitability and analyzed this data to find what type of relationship they have with CSR ratings. Conclusions: Our research shows that size, industry sensitivity and media exposure are significant variables in explaining the differences in corporate social responsibility disclosures practices among Swedish companies. In terms of theories, legitimacy and stakeholder theories are found to be the most relevant theories for explaining the extent and content of social disclosures of Swedish companies.