This PhD thesis is an exploratory study examining the practices of Corporate Social and Environmental Disclosure (CSED) in the annual reports of the manufacturing sector in Jordan over the period 2010-2012. The study is based mainly on empirical investigation of the level and patterns of CSED practices by 66 industrial companies listed in the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE). In addition, it focuses on analysing determinants of the practices of CSED by firms in the manufacturing sector. This study is concerned with the common area between functionalist and interpretive paradigms. Therefore, both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed as a mixed practical approach to collect, analyse and interpret the required data. Specifically, the disclosure index was selected as an appropriate approach to extract quantitative data regarding CSED practices. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were used as a qualitative method to explore the stakeholders' perceptions of the impact of local external factors on CSED practices. The Random-Effect Model was the most appropriate analysis technique to analyse possible relationships between internal factors and the level of CSED, and the stakeholders' views were evaluated through the use of open critical discussion to ascertain the effect of the local contextual factors on the practices of CSED. The results showed the existence of unsatisfactory levels in the practices of CSED during the survey period. Furthermore, the results of the random effect model indicated that the firm size, audit firm and type of financial market were all significant. However, this result of type of financial market coefficients indicated an inverse relationship in explaining the level of CSED practices. Moreover, stakeholders’ views regarding the effect of the external factors on CSED practices showed that the political system, legal system, cultural values and economic development are also significant factors in explaining CSED practices in the corporate annual reports.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / O presente estudo objetivou investigar a relaÃÃo entre o disclosure socioambiental e a prÃtica de incentivos governamentais, pela perspectiva da Teoria da Legitimidade. Tal questÃo surge a partir do cenÃrio das empresas incentivadas por benefÃcios governamentais. Essas empresas criam uma imagem socialmente irresponsÃvel, por utilizarem recursos pÃblicos para satisfazer objetivos privados, perdendo sua legitimidade. Como forma de resgate de legitimidade, as empresas utilizam ferramentas capazes de mitigar o problema causado pelo recebimento de SubvenÃÃes e AssistÃncias Governamentais (SAG). Uma dessas ferramentas, apontadas pela literatura cientÃfica, à a evidenciaÃÃo socioambiental. Os estudos sobre disclosure socioambiental, legitimidade e SAG tÃm instigado diversos pesquisadores. Entretanto, quando esses temas sÃo abordados em conjunto, as pesquisas ainda sÃo incipientes e se restringem ao nÃvel internacional. A partir dessa hipÃtese, a presente pesquisa se propÃe investigar a associaÃÃo entre o nÃvel de divulgaÃÃo socioambiental e a prÃtica de recebimento de SAG das empresas listadas na BM&FBovespa. Foram utilizadas ferramentas qualitativas (AnÃlise de ConteÃdo das DemonstraÃÃes Financeiras Padronizadas disponibilizadas nos websites da BM&FBovespa e da CVM, alÃm dos RelatÃrios de Sustentabilidade e similares disponÃveis nos websites das empresas) e quantitativas (estatÃstica descritiva, teste de diferenÃas de mÃdias e regressÃo linear mÃltipla) para compreender o comportamento da amostra, que, apÃs criteriosa seleÃÃo, totalizou 337 empresas. Com relaÃÃo Ãs SAG recebidas pelas empresas avaliadas, constatou-se que o normativo a elas referente ainda nÃo à aplicado como devido. No que diz respeito à evidenciaÃÃo socioambiental, ressalta-se o fato de o governo se destacar como principal stakeholder-alvo das empresas estudadas. AtravÃs da anÃlise conjunta das SAG e da evidenciaÃÃo socioambiental, foi possÃvel constatar que as empresas que recebem incentivos governamentais e que divulgam a receita deles proveniente divulgam mais, corroborando a Teoria da Legitimidade. Na anÃlise dos possÃveis fatores determinantes do comportamento do Ãndice de Disclosure Socioambiental, o tamanho da firma se destaca como fator influenciador em todos os grupos analisados. Contudo, a anÃlise de variÃveis diretamente relacionadas ao recebimento de incentivos e o Valor do Incentivo e o Tipo de Incentivo nÃo se mostram determinantes para a evidenciaÃÃo de informaÃÃes socioambientais. Concluiu-se que, para as firmas brasileiras, os incentivos governamentais nÃo estimulam a utilizaÃÃo de ferramentas de resgate da legitimidade, no caso da presente pesquisa, o disclosure socioambiental. / The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between environmental disclosure and the practice of government incentives, from the perspective of the theory of legitimacy. This question arises from the scenario of the companies encouraged by government benefits. These companies create a socially irresponsible image for using public resources to meet private goals, losing its legitimacy. As a way of redemption of legitimacy, companies use tools that can mitigate the problem caused by the receipt of government grant and assistance. One of these tools, cited by the scientific literature, is the environmental disclosure. Studies on environmental disclosure, legitimacy and government grant and assistance have instigated many researchers (PATTEN , 2002; DEEGAN , 2002; SMITH WARD , 2007; HANLON ; Slemrod , 2009; Taveira , 2009; RODRIGUES ; SILVA ; FAUSTINO , 2011; LOUREIRO ; GALLON ; DE LUCA , 2011) . However, when these issues are addressed together, the research is still scarce and are restricted to the international level ( FREEDMAN , 2003; CHRISTENSEN ; MURPHY , 2004; WILLIAMS , 2007; PREUSS , 2010; LANIS ; RICHARDSON , 2012, 2013 ). From this hypothesis, the present research proposes to investigate the association between the level of environmental disclosure and the practice of receive grants and government assistance by the companies listed on the BM & FBovespa. Qualitative ( content analysis of the Standardized Financial Statements available on the BM&FBOVESPA and CVM sites, and Sustainability Reporting and the like available on the websites of companies ) and quantitative ( descriptive statistics , mean comparison test and multiple linear regression) tools were used to understand the behavior of the sample studied. After selection criteria, 337 companies were evaluated. Regarding the Governmentâs Grants and Assistance (GGA) received by the companies studied, it was found that the normative references are still not properly implemented. In relation to social and environmental disclosure, it was emphasized the fact that the government stands out as a target-stakeholder of companies studied. Through joint analysis of SAGs and environmental disclosure, it was found that companies that receive government incentives and disclose income from these incentives, disclose more, corroborating the theory of legitimacy. In the analysis of possible determinants of IDS behavior, the size of the company stands out as influential factor in all analyzed groups. However, analysis of variables directly related to the receipt of incentives and the value of the Incentive and Incentive Type, do not show as a decisive factor for the disclosure of environmental information. It was concluded that, for Brazilian companies, the incentives of the government does not stimulates the use of rescue tools of legitimacy, in the case of this research, the environmental disclosure.