Auswirkungen der Integration und Veröffentlichung von Nachhaltigkeitsaspekten auf Unternehmen

Kurzfassung/Abstract

This cumulative dissertation examines how sustainability aspects are integrated into companies, measured, reported, and perceived by external stakeholders. Its central focus is the question of how the systematic measurement and disclosure of sustainability information can benefit companies. The dissertation addresses this question from both conceptual and empirical perspectives.

The starting point is Paper 1, which systematically reviews the current state of research on the integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors into corporate performance measurement systems. The paper identifies key developments, relevant ESG indicators, and existing approaches to measuring and managing sustainability-related corporate performance. In doing so, it establishes the conceptual foundation for examining which sustainability aspects can be incorporated into sustainability-oriented performance measurement systems and how these systems can contribute to improving corporate decision-making and management processes.

Paper 2 translates these conceptual insights into the context of corporate practice, focusing on social sustainability, an ESG dimension that is often difficult to operationalize. Drawing on the annual reports and sustainability reports of DAX 40 companies, the paper investigates the extent to which publicly disclosed social initiatives can be clearly linked to corporate or sustainability strategies. Thus, the analysis goes beyond identifying the social activities reported by companies to examine whether these activities are recognizable as integral components of strategic goal systems. This approach reveals the extent to which social sustainability is embedded in companies’ documented strategic orientations beyond mere reporting, as well as the areas in which further progress is needed in corporate practice.

Whereas the first two papers primarily address the integration, measurement, and strategic anchoring of sustainability aspects, Paper 3 focuses on the external effects of disclosed sustainability information. Using an experimental research design, the paper examines whether numerical sustainability scores included in job advertisements influence employer attractiveness and lead prospective applicants to accept relative wage concessions. The findings provide causal evidence that standardized sustainability information can influence labor market decision-making. At the same time, they demonstrate that sustainability information should not be understood solely as content disclosed in response to regulatory requirements, but also as a potentially strategically relevant signal to external stakeholders.

Taken together, the dissertation spans the identification and integration of relevant sustainability aspects, their strategic anchoring and reporting, and their effects on prospective employees. In doing so, it contributes to a deeper understanding of the implications of sustainability integration and disclosure for companies.