Implications of a Stakeholder View on Corporate Reporting

While the stakeholder view is increasingly being seen as an integral part of corporate governance, a corresponding view has not emerged in corporate reporting. This paper explores the possibility of a normative stakeholder view of corporate reporting by addressing the foundation of financial reports, the underlying mission of the conceptual framework contained in Statement of Financial Accounting Concepts No. 1. Specifically, the paper contrasts mission concepts to find a suitable foundation for the stakeholder view that would sufficiently project the ideas, and particularly the public interest perspective contained in that view. The paper also illustrates how the mission of corporate reporting extends to other areas in the conceptual framework and international accounting, and critically reviews the current trajectory of corporate reporting in the light of the implications of the stakeholder view.