Exploring Multi-level Drivers of Accountants’ Opinions on the Changes Introduced by the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive

Abstract

This study aims to identify drivers influencing Poland-based accountants’ opinions towards stricter sustainability reporting regulations in the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). Employing a multilevel model of social change as the theoretical framework, we analysed responses from 1,076 accountants in 2021. We used logit regression, to assess accountants’ perspectives on the expansion of sustainability reporting to a greater number of companies and its mandatory assurance. Our findings reveal that drivers at transnational (international regulations and standards), organisational (benefits tied to sustainability reporting), and individual (knowledge of reporting regulations) levels positively influence support for these measures. Conversely, drivers at the national level, captured by membership in the professional accountants’ association, were irrelevant. Our findings suggest that regulatory bodies should educate accountants on the benefits of sustainability reporting to improve their receptivity to new requirements. Countries adopting sustainability reporting later may need to invest more in developing accountants’ knowledge and skills.

Keywords:

• CSRD
• multilevel model of social change
• accountancy profession
• survey
• Poland

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Accountants Association in Poland for its support in conducting the survey. In addition, the authors would like to extend their gratitude to reviewers and the participants of the EUFIN 18th Workshop in Piraeus, Greece and the Meditari Accountancy Research Conference 2023 in Verona, Italy for the suggestions and comments on earlier versions of this paper, as well as participants of the research seminars held at the University of Brescia, Italy, Henley Business School, Reading University, UK and Ca ‘Foscari University of Venice, Italy.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Narodowe Centrum Nauki: [Grant Number 2023/49/B/HS4/00507]; Krakow University of Economics.