Résumé
Corporate environmental reporting is becoming more and more widespread and regulated. This dissertation specifically focuses on environmental accounting information (EAI) in this context. Our research draws on neo-institutional theory and concerns the concept of normativity. Three empirical studies, each dealing with one dimension of the information disclosure process, are conducted. They are all carried out in the French regulatory context. The first study examines how companies disclose EAI and the strategies adopted after the adoption of a new law. Based on a content analysis of the annual reports of 96 listed companies over the period 2009-2014, the results show that the law did not favor greater transparency in the EAI and we observe that companies choose different responses to the law. The second study focuses on behind the scenes of these strategies to identify how producers of information organize themselves to respond to the regulations they are subject to. The results of 8 case studies show that two distinct strategies appear depending on the type of EAI. The third study focuses on the users of information behavior and how they react to the firms’ disclosure strategies. We consider the point of view of financial analysts by investigating the effect of firms’ EAI disclosure strategies on investment recommendations and perceptions of this item (as regards to both the relevance and credibility of information). Through an experimental study conducted with 145 participants, it turned out that these strategies modify both the perception of relevance and credibility of information. Overall, the dissertation contributes to our understanding of how companies (and actors) develop strategies to adapt to the introduction of new regulations.