Does integrated reporting information influence internal decision making? An experimental study of investment behavior

Sustainable value creation has moved to the center of attention of many companies, leading to a shift in external corporate reporting. Sustainability information is provided within sustainability reports and CSR reports as well as integrated reports. Research has considered the motivations and different formats of integrated reports and how these reports provide a better information basis for investors. However, integrated reporting information may also affect internal decision making by providing decision makers with a more comprehensive picture of the impact of the firm's strategy. Here, we present the results of a scenario‐based experiment testing how financial, unlinked financial and nonfinancial, and integrated information affect the outcomes of investment decisions. We find that an integrated information basis leads to decisions with higher sustainable value creation. We thus show that information prepared for external reporting can also be used for internal purposes to help companies establish sustainable decision behavior.