Disclosure of Community Involvement and Development According to International Standard ISO 26000 by Non-Financial Listed Companies on the Palestine Exchange (Descriptive Study)

Abstract

This research aims to explore the level of disclosure on participation and community development in accordance with the international standard ISO 26000 by non-financial listed companies in the Palestine Exchange. The study employed the descriptive and analytical approach, by analyzing the content of the annual financial reports published by non-financial companies in the Palestine Exchange website from 2016 to 2018. The study sample is composed of a total (31) companies, with (93) annual financial reports. Based on the ISO 26000, a disclosure index has been developed containing 35 items divided into 7 groups including: community participation, education and culture, job creation and skills development, climate change mitigation and adaptation, technology development, environmental protection, restoration of the natural environment, wealth and income generation, community participation and social investment, education and culture. The study found a low level of corporate disclosure the participation and community development based on the index identified by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 26000). The study recommended Palestine Exchange to work on promoting ISO 26000 standards among companies in order to establish a holistic approach towards corporate social responsibility that might lead to informative disclosure, as well as to take the necessary steps  to commensurate the international standard with the reality and philosophy of the Palestinian corporate environment.