Linking of financial data with non-financial information on CSR of companies listed on the Warsaw stock exchange

Abstract

Purpose: Reporting on CSR activities has become the essence of reporting for modern business entities. In this regard, particular attention is paid to public interest companies. Therefore, the following paper aims to answer the question of whether there are differences in the linguistic structure of the studied CSR reports in three selected industry indices on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) in Poland, i.e. WIG-energy index, WIG-fuel index, WIG-mining index and their relationship with the performance of selected companies. Approach/Methodology/Design: The study was conducted on a purposely selected sample of companies between 2013 and 2018. A total of 138 CSR reports and 138 annual separate financial statements prepared in accordance with IAS/IFRS were collected. The study was carried out based on a panel regression model. Findings: It was found that CSR reports contained similar average percentages of parts of speech such as nouns and adjectives. When linking the economic performance of companies, expressed with selected indices, to the information on the implementation of CSR concepts, it was revealed that the results are more likely to describe business performance when it is satisfactory. Practical Implications: The article indicates an important issue related to the attempt to answer the questions whether the description of the companies' activities is related to the financial data. This issue is extremely important from the point of view of an external recipient who uses the financial statements. Originality/Value: The results of the reaserch and theoretical considerations contained in the article complement the existing research in accounting. Previously, such studies were not carried out.