Non-financial disclosure using GRI standards: Empirical findings of Croatian and Serbian companies

Abstract

This paper investigates nonfinancial disclosure using GRI Standards for large public interest entities in Croatia and Serbia. First, we created an index of compliance with the GRI Standards to measure nonfinancial disclosure. Second, the research was conducted on a sample of listed companies from Croatia and Serbia for 2018 (with more than 500 employees). We used a regression analysis, modeling the GRI Compliance Index as a function of the following explanatory determinants: CSR reporting, annual report pages, company size, leverage, ROA, and industry. Our results indicate that the GRI Compliance Index size for Croatian companies is influenced by CSR reporting, annual report pages, and company size, while for Serbian companies, it is only influenced by the annual report pages. In addition, there is no difference in the level of compliance with the GRI Standards in the observed countries. However, Croatian companies provide better disclosures from the GRI modules (economic, environmental, and social). These results are unexpected, given that Croatian regulations are harmonized with the EU Directive and the GRI Standards. The findings could be of interest to all users of corporate disclosure, especially large public interest entities seeking to improve the quality process of their nonfinancial reporting.