Dr Terri Trireksani, CA

This study examines the association between environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance and corporate tax aggressiveness among publicly listed Australian firms using a comprehensive data set from 2009 to 2024. Drawing on stakeholder and legitimacy theories, we find that higher ESG performance, particularly in the social dimension, is significantly linked to lower tax aggressiveness. Using Refinitiv ESG scores and a peer-adjusted tax aggressiveness measure (TA_GAAP), the analysis remains robust to alternative measures and extensive controls. Policy relevance is notable. For the Australian Taxation Office, social ESG indicators could enhance Justified Trust risk assessments. The findings also support integrating tax transparency metrics into ESG reporting frameworks for Treasury and standard setters. Boards and executives can align social responsibility initiatives with prudent tax strategies to strengthen compliance, investor confidence, and stakeholder trust. The study reinforces the view that responsible tax conduct is essential to sustainable corporate practice in the Australian context.

This study investigates the impacts of total quality management and green supply chain management practices on competitive advantage within the context of sustainability performance in small and medium-sized enterprises. This research uses a quantitative approach with 102 owners of Indonesian small and medium-sized enterprises and applies structural equation modeling and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to evaluate the relationship among variables. The findings reveal that total quality management and green supply chain management practices individually contribute to sustainability performance in small and medium-sized enterprises. Additionally, competitive advantage emerges as a mediating factor between total quality management and green supply chain management, and sustainability performance. The study underscores the importance of formulating comprehensive strategies that synergistically integrate total quality management and green supply chain management practices to fortify operational efficiency and resilience in the dynamic business landscape. The strong connection between total quality management and sustainability performance in the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis reinforces their collective impact on outcomes, aligning with prior research and highlighting the reliability of this relationship. Furthermore, the enduring relationship between competitive advantage and sustainability performance in the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis could validate theoretical foundations and underscore the strategic importance of sustained competitive advantage for long-term success in dynamic and competitive business environments.

This study presents a systematic bibliometric review of water sustainability disclosures in agricultural companies, employing the four-phase PRISMA 2020 methodology to analyze 257 peer-reviewed publications from 2015 to 2024. The findings revealed a significant rise in research activity driven by global sustainability regulations and corporate accountability measures. Co-occurrence and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) analyses identified dominant themes, including corporate sustainability practices, green agricultural initiatives, and regulatory compliance, while highlighting gaps in community-based land management and localized water use strategies. A content analysis of the five most-cited articles indicated that regulatory frameworks (e.g., GRI, SASB, and IR) could enhance transparency. However, inconsistencies persisted in integrating water disclosures with financial and strategic decision-making. Geographical distribution analysis revealed that developed nations led in publication output, whereas emerging economies demonstrated increasing engagement. Despite progress, heterogeneity in disclosure practices and limited standardization hindered cross-sector comparability. The study concludes that future research should prioritize interdisciplinary frameworks integrating financial, environmental, and governance dimensions to improve water sustainability reporting and stakeholder engagement. This research provides critical insights for policymakers, corporations, and academics to enhance sustainability disclosures and promote transparent, accountable, and data-driven water management in agriculture.

Purpose
This study examines the role of integrated reporting (IR) and earnings management (EM) practices on the combined assurance model (CA) and the firms’ capital market liquidity (FCML) performance nexus. Based on a moderated mediation analysis, it examines the channels through which CA quality influences FCML performance.

Design/methodology/approach
The study uses data from the top 100 firms on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) based on market capitalisation, and a bootstrap moderated mediation model through Hayes Process Macro was adopted.

Findings
The findings show that although IR quality mediates the CA quality and FCML performance nexus, the mediation is conditional on firms’ practices of EM, implying that the value of CA through IR to capital market participants is more pronounced for firms engaged in high EM practices.

Practical implications
The findings emphasise the importance of the CA model in streamlining assurance processes, reducing assurance costs and enhancing the credibility of financial and sustainability reports, thereby improving capital market performance. Hence, it is a valuable assurance framework for International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) S1 and S2 compliance.

Originality/value
This study uniquely lines up the CA model, IR quality and EM practices to project the value relevance and channel(s) through which the effective communication of the CA model influences FCML performance.

This study assesses the role of country characteristics on the association between board gender diversity and sustainability performance. It evaluates the significance and relevance of country characteristics in capturing the contextual sensitivity of the relationship between board gender diversity and sustainability performance. Using a sample of 5087 firms from 50 countries, the study establishes that the presence of females on corporate boards enhances sustainability performance. However, the strength of this relationship is contingent on the characteristics of the country within which a firm operates. Specifically, the positive relationship between board gender diversity and sustainability performance is more pronounced in countries with higher cultural orientations on individualism, uncertainty avoidance, indulgence, and femininity. More substantial financial development, an application of civil law and legal systems and weaker economic conditions in a country also facilitate female directors in enhancing sustainability performance. The study provides deeper insights into how country factors interact with gender on the board factor in leading the sustainability performance of firms.

Sustainability reporting was introduced after financial reporting to meet the social and environmental informational needs of stakeholders, while integrated reporting was initiated to integrate financial reporting and sustainability reporting to advance the decision usefulness of corporate disclosure practices. Despite claims and evidence of the value relevance of each reporting framework exclusively, studies on the incremental value relevancies of these subsequent disclosure practices have been sparse. Using a sample of firms from the Johan-nesburg Stock Exchange from 2011 to 2020 and firms' capital market liquidity performance, this study finds that sustainability reporting and integrated reporting are not only value-relevant disclosure practices but also offer incremental value relevancies. Sustainability reporting provides incremental value relevance over financial reporting, and integrated reporting offers incremental value relevance over financial reporting and sustainability reporting. However, the findings do not find support for integrated reporting to replace the practices of financial reporting and sustainability reporting and affirm the contribution of each of the three reports in the corporate reporting space.

This study investigates the intricate dynamics of human-technology interaction in the context of safety within the Indonesian oil and gas industry, specifically focusing on the integration of the internet of things and cyber-physical systems. The aim is to uncover the interplay between safety climate, human-technology interaction, and sustainable development, ultimately providing insights for enhancing safety and sustainability in this critical sector. Through a comprehensive analysis, this research employs a quantitative methods approach, combining survey and interview data with a data analysis using structural equation modeling. It assesses safety climate perceptions among employees, evaluates the impact of human-technology interaction on safety, and explores the moderating effect of safety climate on the relationship between human-technology interaction and sustainable development in Indonesia's upstream oil and gas sector. The study's findings illuminate the utmost importance of cultivating a robust safety culture within Indonesian upstream oil and gas companies. It reveals that negative safety climate can disrupt the positive influence of human-technology interaction on sustainable development, leading to an inverse path coefficient. This research emphasizes continuous safety performance evaluation, comprehensive employee training for effective human-technology interaction, and the seamless integration of sustainable development principles into all operational aspects. This holistic approach underscores the industry's commitment to the well-being of its workforce, the integrity of technological advancements, and its dedication to sustainable practices in an era dominated by human-technology interaction and cyber-physical systems.

Purpose
This study aims to evaluate the relationship between integrated reporting and management’s opportunistic behavior (i.e., accrual and real earnings management) and the moderating role of firm complexity.

Design/methodology/approach
Data of firms at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange were collected and analyzed. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange is currently the primary exchange that mandates the practice of integrated reporting. Regression estimation models and robustness tests were applied to the analysis.

Findings
This study concludes that integrated reporting quality reduces firms’ accrual and real earnings management practices. It further concludes that the significant negative effect of integrated reporting quality on firms’ earnings management practices is impeded by higher firm complexity.

Originality/value
This study enhances the literature on the behavioral effect of a combined financial and sustainability disclosure practice on both accrual and real earnings management, specifically targeting South Africa’s listed companies – the primary market currently mandates integrated reporting practice.

The study assesses whether CEO power and firm environmental sensitivity matter to board diversity (i.e., board cultural (BCD) and board gender (BGD) diversity) and corporate sustainability performance nexus. Australian S&P/ASX300′s firm data for a period of ten years (2011–2020) were used in the study’s analysis. Although board diversity positively influences ESG performance, the presence of powerful CEOs and when firms operate in environmentally sensitive industries weaken the board diversity and sustainability performance nexus. Additionally, the study found that although board diversity is essential, the effect of BGD has a greater statistical power on sustainability than BCD, affirming the present focus on BGD.

The extraordinary situation due to COVID-19 pandemic has created an opportunity to examine the behavioural patterns of investors by way of the level of trading activities on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) around the releases of crucial information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to identify abnormal trading volume at ASX around eight selected significant announcements and measures of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. The study finds sufficient evidence to indicate that the COVID-19 announcements and calculations influence investor decisions on the ASX as the pandemic evolved.