This task is the first stage of a mini research project on sustainability reporting. It requires you to apply one of the accounting theories introduced in Week 2 (Institutional Theory) or Week 3 (Positive Accounting Theory) to analyse and compare how different institutional environments influence corporate sustainability disclosures under IFRS S1 and S2.

You will compare Australia with a developing country (e.g., China, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh etc.) or your home country (if you are an international student).Your analysis should consider how institutional factors, regulations, and cultural expectations shape the adoption, adaptation, or interpretation of sustainability disclosure standards in each country.

Intended Learning Outcomes:

You are expected to:

Analyse country-specific institutional or managerial incentives that influence disclosure decisions

Interpret how global sustainability standards (IFRS S1/S2) are adopted or adapted across borders

Apply either Institutional Theory or Positive Accounting Theory to frame your analysis

Demonstrate your ability to think critically and professionally across cultures and systems

This task also supports your professional development in line with the 2025 revised IFAC IES 2 (Technical Competence), IES 3 (Professional Skills), and IES 4 (Values and Ethics).

Task Instructions

Identify a comparison country (see above) to compare with Australia.

Choose and Apply one theoretical lens:

Institutional Theory: Focus on how national institutions, cultural expectations, and regulatory structures influence corporate sustainability disclosures.

Positive Accounting Theory: Focus on how managerial incentives, political costs, or contract-based behaviors influence reporting practices and responses to IFRS S1/S2.

Analyse how IFRS S1 and S2 are being adopted, resisted, or reinterpreted in your selected comparison country. Use industry examples or policy documents where available.

1. Evaluate the implications of your analysis for the comparability and global harmonisation of corporate sustainability reporting, using specific examples to support your conclusions.

Demonstrate intercultural awareness by critically analysing how cultural values, stakeholder expectations, and social norms influence the interpretation and implementation of sustainability disclosures in each country.

Please choose Australia and China to analysis