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Comprehensive sustainability reporting in higher education institutions

Author

Listed:
  • Sahar Sepasi
  • Udo Braendle
  • Amir Hossein Rahdari

Abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to evaluate the comprehensiveness of sustainability reporting in higher education institutions. Design/methodology/approach - This study adopts a university sustainability rating framework and uses it to evaluate the comprehensiveness of sustainability reporting in higher education institutions. Findings - The results of the study demonstrate that notwithstanding growing concerns over sustainability issues; higher education institutions have been slow to adopt sustainability reporting practices including publishing consistent and periodic reports, receiving third-party assurance and integrating sustainability reporting into university’s sustainability management systems. Research limitations/implications - The results of the study suggest that the quality of sustainability reporting varies quite significantly, and important dimensions such as education and outreach programs are ill-treated in universities’ sustainability reports. The quality presents a tremendous challenge for sustainability reporting as more organizations are joining the sustainability reporting process, the quality would become a differentiator and competitive advantage, the study concludes. Two main limitations were identified. First, the number of reports examined were limited and are not representative of all higher education institutions. Second, data from other sources, like websites, were not factored in the analysis, as the study focuses on evaluating the comprehensiveness of sustainability reporting in higher education institutions. Practical implications - The results provide useful insights into comprehensiveness (one aspect of quality of sustainability reporting) in higher education institutions and help to better navigate the future trends in sustainability reporting practices of universities. Originality/value - Sustainability reporting is well established in the corporate environment; however, the extent to which it has been adopted and its quality in universities remains relatively unexamined. The study attempts to fill the research gap in the quality of sustainability reporting (comprehensiveness) in higher education institutions to better navigate the future trends in sustainability reporting practices of universities.

Suggested Citation

  • Sahar Sepasi & Udo Braendle & Amir Hossein Rahdari, 2018. "Comprehensive sustainability reporting in higher education institutions," Social Responsibility Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 15(2), pages 155-170, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:srjpps:srj-01-2018-0009
    DOI: 10.1108/SRJ-01-2018-0009
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Abdulhakeem Raji & Abeer Hassan, 2021. "Sustainability and Stakeholder Awareness: A Case Study of a Scottish University," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-17, April.
    2. Cristina Alexandrina Stefanescu, 2021. "Sustainability Reporting in the Public Realm—Trends and Patterns in Knowledge Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-23, April.
    3. Walter Leal Filho & Alfonso Coronado-Marín & Amanda Lange Salvia & Fernanda Frankenberger Silva & Franziska Wolf & Todd LeVasseur & Maria J. Kirrane & Federica Doni & Arminda Paço & Malgorzata Blichar, 2022. "International Trends and Practices on Sustainability Reporting in Higher Education Institutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-17, September.
    4. Rosane Maria Seibert & Clea Beatriz Macagnan & Robert Dixon, 2021. "Priority Stakeholders’ Perception: Social Responsibility Indicators," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-22, January.
    5. Víctor Meseguer-Sánchez & Emilio Abad-Segura & Luis Jesús Belmonte-Ureña & Valentín Molina-Moreno, 2020. "Examining the Research Evolution on the Socio-Economic and Environmental Dimensions on University Social Responsibility," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-30, July.
    6. Anup Kumar Saha & Habiba Al‐Shaer & Rob Dixon & Istemi Demirag, 2021. "Determinants of Carbon Emission Disclosures and UN Sustainable Development Goals: The Case of UK Higher Education Institutions," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 31(2), pages 79-107, June.
    7. Elena De la Poza & Paloma Merello & Antonio Barberá & Alberto Celani, 2021. "Universities’ Reporting on SDGs: Using THE Impact Rankings to Model and Measure Their Contribution to Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-28, February.
    8. Alicia Blanco‐Gonzalez & Francisco Diéz‐Martín & Gabriel Cachón‐Rodríguez & Camilo Prado‐Román, 2020. "Contribution of social responsibility to the work involvement of employees," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(6), pages 2588-2598, November.
    9. Juan Martín-Miguel & Camio Prado-Román & Gabriel Cachón-Rodríguez & Lilliana L. Avendaño-Miranda, 2020. "Determinants of Reputation at Private Graduate Online Schools," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-18, November.
    10. Gabriel Cachón‐Rodríguez & Alicia Blanco‐González & Camilo Prado‐Román & Francisco Diez‐Martin, 2021. "Sustainability actions, employee loyalty, and the awareness: The mediating effect of organization legitimacy," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(7), pages 1730-1739, October.

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