AN INVESTIGATION INTO SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY DISCLOSURE BY COMPANIES IN SINGAPORE
HAH SIM FONG
HAH SIM FONG
Citations
Altmetric:
Alternative Title
Abstract
The traditional primary objective of firms has been the maximization of shareholders' wealth. The pursuit of such objective by firms in Singapore has contributed significantly to its phenomenal economic growth over the past few decades. However, with the increased public consciousness of issues such as the need to protect the environment, control pollution and recycle products, attention has focused on the discharge by companies of their role as good corporate citizens. Specifically, increasing pressure has been exerted on companies to disclose information which would enable assessments to be made on whether they have conducted their operations in a socially responsible manner. Although several studies have been conducted overseas on the extent and quality of corporate social responsibility disclosure, no such studies have been undertaken in Singapore to date. This study was therefore designed to fill this void and provide original insights into this important area. The study examined the concept of corporate social responsibility; reviewed various methodologies for social accounting, and examined the rationales which may persuade companies to provide information on social responsibility. It replicated a study undertaken in Australia by Trotman to the Singapore environment. The results revealed an increasing trend in social responsibility disclosure in the annual reports of Singapore companies. However, the study detected that Singapore companies have been significantly slower in recognizing the need and importance of such disclosure compared to companies in Australia. Additionally, most companies tended to disclose information on the areas of human resources and community involvement, with insignificant attention to areas such as energy and product. The study identified several limitations which may affect its usefulness. Suggestions were made on future research which could overcome such limitations, and thereby elicit valuable insights on the extent, quality and usefulness of social responsibility disclosure by companies in Singapore.
Keywords
Source Title
Publisher
Series/Report No.
Collections
Rights
Date
1997
DOI
Type
Thesis