Corporate Environmental Communication – Political or Economical Discourse?

• Purpose: This paper aims to propose a model for measuring the quality of corporate green communication based on the notion of informativity. Design/methodology/approach: The model has been applied to a quantitative study of the annual reports of 20 corporations listed on the Stockholm stock exchange - Large Cap aimed at examing the level of environmental informativity in the information provided by the companies in question. Findings: Based on the proposed model the authors conclude that the majority of the companies in the study adhere to weak discourse on environmental communication meaning that the information provided has a general and vague character. Examples of strong discourses, characterized by a discourse in which the company provides contextual information which enables the reader to make an independent assessment of actions taken, were far less common Research implications: The model of informativity in environmental reporting provides a method for systematic studies on corporate environmental communication across for example geographic areas, business sectors, and organisational features. The model could also be used by various actors with an interest in evaluating corporate environmental communication.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Medie- och kommunikationsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Media and Communications (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv -- Företagsekonomi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business -- Business Administration (hsv//eng)

Keyword

corporate environmental reproting

informativity corporate communication; sustainable development

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

kon (subject category)