INTERNET CORPORATE REPORTING: AN INVESTIGATION ON COMPANIES PROCESSED IN THE BIST 100 INDEX

Abstract

The adoption of the internet as a global application for the publication of financial information by businesses is widely seen among publicly traded companies worldwide. The Internet creates a new reporting environment for publicly traded companies in order to constantly communicate with existing shareholders and attract potential companies. BIST Sustainability Index which is based on environmental, social and corporate governance issues of the companies in Turkey, aims to increase the applications on corporate sustainability of the companies in Istanbul Stock Exchange. Companies to be taken into the BIST Sustainability Index are valued by Ethical Investment Research Services Limited (EIRIS) and public information is considered as the sole criterion for valuation. In our study, the websites of 39 companies included in the BIST 100 index but not included in the BIST Sustainability Index and the list of companies subject to valuation are analyzed with the content analysis method in terms of the sources to be considered in the EIRIS valuation study and it is aimed to determine the additional information they need to publish on the websites in order to meet the index criteria. As a result of the study, it is determined that 39 companies in the scope of the study share information with investors and interested people about general information about the company, products and services, investor relations, human resources, corporate governance and financial results through websites and information about sustainability practices is limited.