Integrated Reporting - Step 2: Company Websites

The Internet is widely acknowledged as a key medium for communicating with investors and other stakeholders, such as customers and job seekers. They have become accustomed to using company websites to obtain the information they need for their particular purposes. The usefulness of company websites is determined by the information content, which users should find unambiguous, timely and relevant. The 2008 CICA research study on Corporate Reporting to Stakeholders (see Chapter 12) discusses the future of the online annual report and the information content that company websites should contain. It also considers how companies could make better use of existing and emerging technologies to enhance corporate communications as they shift to a new paradigm — real-time online reporting. Currently, the CICA is undertaking research to promote effective communication by "Using the Internet in Corporate Reporting." The booklet "Practical Guidance for Managing Websites" is available as a discussion draft on the CICA website.