Corporate Reporting on the Internet

This book explains how and why corporations use the internet for reporting to their stakeholders. While many such books are limited to financial reporting, this book extends to business reporting, environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting and integrated reporting. A key part of it is the impact of the major drivers entering into modern reporting, including the movement to data driven decision making, impact of big data, advanced analytics, and the use of electronic representations of data with tools such as XBRL. It also explores the various vehicles for using the internet, including social media and blogs as well as corporate websites and the websites of regulators. And it delves into the impact of portable devices, like smart phones and tablets. Corporate reporting on the internet is changing fast because of changes in technology and in stakeholder expectations. For example, stakeholders now expect a lot more from companies than they did a few years ago in disclosing the effects of the company on the environment and the effects of the environment on the company. The book describes the evolution of corporate reporting in recent years, the state of the art now and provides a roadmap for companies to follow in the near future - a roadmap they should be starting on now. So this book is of interest to executives in charge of the reporting function for their companies, to students of accounting and management who aspire to corporate reporting responsibilities and to serious investors and others with a strong interest in corporate reporting and the direction in which it is headed. Most importantly, the book lays out a strong case for integrated reporting, what it means, attempts at integrated reporting so far, and the future of integrated websites. It also shows how reporting on the internet is ideally suited to fostering the growth of integrated reporting.