Performance Sustainability and Integrated Reporting: Empirical Evidence from Mandatory and Voluntary Adoption Contexts

This paper looks at the topic of regulation of integrated reporting for listed companies, with the aim of contributing to the debate on the usefulness of introducing a mandatory regime, both from the perspective of integrated performance sustainability of companies and from that of relevance of information for providers of financial capital. The study is based on empirical research carried out on a sample composed of companies operating in territories where the adoption of integrated reporting is voluntary (Europe) and those operating in a country where adoption is mandatory (South Africa). The research shows that (a) in voluntary regimes, levels of integrated performance achieved by companies are higher; (b) mandatory regulation produces positive effects on integrated performance levels in the medium term; (c) integrated performance indicators are value-relevant, though having different levels of relevance under the two regimes examined.