WRITING STYLES OF CEO STATEMENTS IN SUSTAINABILITY REPORTS

Abstract

Sustainability reporting can help organizations to measure, understand and communicate their economic, environmental, social performance, whether it has positive or negative results. These reports introduce the organizational values, strategy and governance model. In these reports, organizations can manage their self-presentation more strategically from face to face interactions. The purpose of this paper to investigate organization's CEOs statements by using of writing styles in Sustainability Reports. In line with research purpose, 17 companies that are listed in BIST sustainability index were analyzed by looking at their sustainability reports. Writing styles as length, bold and italic sentences, signature of CEO, title, reporting framework, beginning and ending of the messages, photograph of CEO and colors that are used in CEO statements were analyzed. As a conclusion, companies have different writing styles to influence their stakeholders. Almost 1-2 pages are used in reports to inform stakeholders by CEOs. Main topics, valuable explanations, titles and signatures were given in bold or italic figure.