This study examines corporate publications of U.K. firms to investigat
e the nature of corporate social responsibility disclosure. Using a st
akeholder approach to corporate social responsibility, our results sug
gest a hierarchical model of disclosure: from general rhetoric to spec
ific endeavors to implementation and monitoring. Industry differences
in attention to specific stakeholder groups are noted. These differenc
es suggest the need to understand the effects on social responsibility
disclosure of factors in a firm's immediate operating environment, su
ch as the extent of government regulation and level of competitiveness
in the industry.