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Panel dataset in this article contains information on the ethical commitment disclosures of Malaysian publicly listed companies. The data presented is related to the research article entitled “Ethical Practice Disclosure of Malaysian Public Listed Companies” [1]. In examining the level of ethical commitment disclosures, content analysis is performed involving 1,115 annual reports for five year periods (2012 – 2016). The annual reports are gathered from Main Market of Bursa Malaysia website. Information on ethical commitment disclosures are extracted from the annual reports. The data are collected using Ethical Commitment Index (ECI) comprising six themes; corporate ethics values, action to promote ethics, whistle-blowing policy, code of ethics, sustainability practices, and ethics committee. This dataset is useful as an indicator of the companies’ ethical commitment reflecting ethical climate in Malaysian public listed companies.

This research is conducted in the Malaysian corporate setting with the presence of favoured companies or politically connected companies (PCON). PCON companies are perceived by the market and external auditors to be riskier than non-politically connected companies. In addition, these companies generally exhibit poor corporate governance practices and face agency problems. However, the enforcement of tighter regulations and the greater emphasis on risk management and governance practices within the PCON companies further indicate the growing importance of having a strong audit committee and internal audit functions in fulfilling corporate governance responsibilities. With reference to the findings from the interviews with the regulators, external auditors and internal auditors, the audit committee and the head of internal auditors of PCON companies have been complying with the Bursa Malaysia Listing Requirements, which were revised in 2008. This observation strengthens claims that the corporate governance regulatory framework has indeed been effective. The involvement of the audit committee and internal audit functions in strengthening internal controls demand higher audit quality from the external auditors, and, hence, higher audit fees.

This paper introduces action research as a possible new method to reduce the distance between idealism and accounting practice, thus contributing to the accounting literature. The source of this paper is an on-going large research project. The project has three objectives. Firstly, to provide evidence of the utilisation of accounting methods in the Malaya plantation industry from its earliest beginnings through to the introduction of accounting tools such as budgets, leading to the creation of a social and economic underclass in Malaysia. Secondly, to examine the extent to which accounting information provided in the Annual Reports of Malaysian plantation companies is used in determining the wages of plantation workers on the grounds that workers in the plantation industry have been and still are, among the most poorly paid in Malaysia, and perhaps the world. Interestingly, the wages of plantation workers are determined through a negotiation process between the National Union of Plantation Workers and the Malaysian Agricultural Producers Association. This paper draws from this research project and explicates the utilisation of the Action Research methodology in reporting the “lived experiences” of those affected by Management Accounting budgets and demonstrating how the parties to wage negotiation, the employers, union and employees, can better derive value from accounting information provided within the annual reports of Malaysian plantation companies.

Purpose - This paper seeks to investigate the influence of government and foreign affiliates, particularly; multinational companies on corporate social reporting (CSR) development in an economy, where CSR awareness is low coupled with weak pressure group activism. Design/methodology/approach - This is a cross sectional study that focuses on the information contained in the annual reports for year 2002/2003. This research uses content analysis as method to measure the extent CSR. Findings - Based on regression analysis, the study evidences on the impact of government influence. However, the impact of foreign affiliation variables is not evident. Institutionalisation of the government's aspirations and commitment to CSR is perhaps the most appropriate description for Malaysian CSR practice. Research limitations/implications - There are two main limitations of this study. Firstly, this study examines the annual reports for one year. Secondly, this study is annual reports centric. It does not examine any other stand alone reports that the respondents might have produced on the subject of society and the environment. Practical implications - This study provides justification for government's role in promoting CSR practice. The impact is evidenced although there are no direct concerted efforts at that time by the government in respect of CSR policy implementation. The significant role is attributed to the unique Malaysian socio economic structure. Originality/value - This study contributes to the CSR literature particularly in the context of economies where governments play a significant role in promoting economic development. It provides empirical evidence of the influence of government and foreign affiliates. It also adds to the literature by explaining the phenomenon from the Institutional perspective and its relevance to a developing economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]