The Journal of Accounting and Management, Vol 4, No 1 (2014)

Abstract

The paper examines shareholders’ requirement of corporate social and environmental disclosures (CSED) in Nigeria based on the survey of individual shareholders. It was found that less than half of the respondents (about 47%) depend on social and environment disclosures for their investment decision; and more  female shareholders require CSED than the males for investment decisions. It was observed gender differences in the concerns for CSED. The regression result reveals that investment and gender has negative association with CSED. Specifically, shareholders’ concern for CSED is due to the need to know company’s environmental management policies, employee welfare and growth, accountability and stewardship of company’s resources. Moreover, the main reasons for companies’ CSED was to  show their compliance with social and environmental standard and  the board of directors , managing director, chairman of the board and institutional shareholders have the greatest influence on CSED in Nigeria. The result has important implications for corporate social reporting by companies, shareholders’ investment decision making and accounting regulatory bodies in Nigeria.