Purpose

This study aims to investigate the adoption and diffusion of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)-based sustainability reporting practices within the global financial services sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach draws on the sociological construct of social contagion theory (SCT) to explain the drivers of diffusion of GRI-based sustainability reporting. Based on a longitudinal study of GRI adoption over a period from 2000 to 2016, thematic content analysis of sustainability reports and media articles was used to refine information gathered that related to nature and spread of GRI-based sustainability practices within the global financial services sector.

Findings

This study finds that the early adopters of GRI-based sustainability reporting and the accompanying media attention influenced the institutional diffusion of GRI-based reporting in the financial services sector. This growth was isomorphic as companies copied best practice models to reduce uncertainty and maintain legitimacy.

Originality/value

This paper focuses on the institutional diffusion of sustainability reporting practices within the global financial sector. It explores the notion of social contagion as an institutional dynamic to understand the drivers for the adoption and diffusion of GRI-based sustainability reporting across national borders. In doing so, the study contributes to the accounting literature on diffusion of innovations in reporting practice, but also, more generally, to the field of diffusion of new ideas in organisations using the unique approach of SCT.

中文翻译：

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基于 GRI 的可持续发展报告实践的社会传染和制度化

目的

本研究旨在调查基于全球报告倡议 (GRI) 的可持续发展报告实践在全球金融服务部门的采用和传播。

设计/方法/方法

该方法利用社会传染理论 (SCT) 的社会学结构来解释基于 GRI 的可持续性报告传播的驱动因素。基于对 2000 年至 2016 年期间 GRI 采用的纵向研究，可持续发展报告和媒体文章的主题内容分析被用于完善收集的与全球金融服务行业基于 GRI 的可持续发展实践的性质和传播相关的信息。

发现

本研究发现，基于 GRI 的可持续发展报告的早期采用者以及随之而来的媒体关注影响了基于 GRI 的报告在金融服务领域的机构传播。这种增长是同构的，因为公司复制了最佳实践模型以减少不确定性并保持合法性。

原创性/价值

本文重点关注可持续发展报告实践在全球金融部门的制度传播。它探讨了社会传染的概念作为一种制度动力，以了解跨国界采用和传播基于 GRI 的可持续发展报告的驱动因素。在这样做的过程中，该研究有助于关于报告实践中创新传播的会计文献，而且更一般地说，有助于使用 SCT 的独特方法在组织中传播新思想的领域。