Title: Exploring the status of corporate social responsibility disclosure in the UK building and construction industry

Authors: Konstantinos Evangelinos; Antonis Skouloudis; Nikoleta Jones; David Isaac; Eleni Sfakianaki

Addresses: Centre for Environmental Policy and Strategic Environmental Management, University of the Aegean, University Hill, Mytilene, 81100, Greece ' Henley Business School, University of Reading, Henley-on-Thames, Greenlands, RG6 6UD, UK ' Global Sustainability Institute, Anglia Ruskin University, East Road, Cambridge, CT11PT, UK ' Department of Built Environment, University of Greenwich, Avery Hill Campus, London, SE10 9LS, UK ' School of Social Sciences, Hellenic Open University, Parodos Aristotelous 18, Patra, 26335, Greece

Abstract: The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and the provision of environmental and social performance information have gained momentum over the past decade. In this respect, the practice of organisational accountability has expanded to include aspects of non-financial nature and issues that can enhance the transparency of business activities and empower stakeholders' decision making. In this paper, we attempt to shed light on the status of CSR reporting of the building and construction industry. Focusing on the UK, we benchmark the CSR reports of building and construction firms against the de facto standard for non-financial reports: the global reporting initiative guidelines. Findings indicate that the CSR reporting practices of assessed UK building and construction firms are lacking in key respects, leave much to be desired and have plenty of room for improvement.

Keywords: CSR disclosure; corporate social responsibility; building industry; construction industry; sustainability; organisational reporting; organisational stakeholders; UK; United Kingdom; CSR reporting; sustainable development; organisational accountability; Global Reporting Initiative; GRI guidelines.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGENVI.2016.081068

International Journal of Global Environmental Issues, 2016 Vol.15 No.4, pp.377 - 399

Received: 24 Feb 2016
Accepted: 26 Apr 2016
Published online: 19 Dec 2016 *

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