The Influence of Board Structure on GRI-Based Sustainability Reporting: Evidence from Turkish Listed Companies

The primary objective of this study is to test the link between board structure and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)-based sustainability reporting. Using a logistic regression model that included a sample of the 64 largest companies listed on Borsa Istanbul (BIST), the Turkish stock exchange, we determined that the board size as well as the existence of a board committee (i.e., corporate social responsibility, environmental or sustainability committee) is significantly and positively related to GRI-based sustainability reporting. However, to our surprise, we also determined that companies with national diverse boards are less likely to publish GRI-based sustainability reports. Further, our findings revealed that board independence and board gender diversity are not significant predictors of GRI reporting. The overall findings of this study imply that the board structure occupies a limited role in determining corporate decisions with respect to sustainability reporting practices. This research contributes to the literature by enhancing our understanding of the association between board structure and sustainability reporting in a developing country, namely Turkey. Further, it contributes to the literature by empirically investigating the relationship between board diversity and GRI-based sustainability reporting, which has been rarely examined in prior research