Bi-directional in sustainability reporting and profitability: A study in Indonesian banks and non-banks

Abstract

We investigate the sustainability reporting differences in banks and non-banks sample firms and investigates reserve causality between sustainability reporting and profitability. The independent-sample t-test implemented to analyze the differences. The results report evidence that there are differences in sustainability reporting between the banks and non-bank. The average score of the sustainability reporting index in banks is higher than non-bank. The multiple regressions implemented in reserve causality between sustainability reporting and profitability. The empirical evidence shows that there is a negative relationship between sustainability reporting and profitability. We suggest that sustainability is merely a cost. The bi-directional relationship emerges in the economic and social dimension of sustainability reporting index. This result indicates that sustainability reporting influences firm performance and vice versa.

Keywords

• profitability
• reserve causality
• sustainability reporting