The impact of the audit committee structure on integrated reporting: An application on the BIST banka sector

In recent years, a corporate reporting approach that encompasses not only financial performance but also environmental, social, and governance factors has gained prominence. Integrated reports aim to provide stakeholders with more comprehensive information by enabling a joint assessment of a company's financial and non-financial activities. The effective implementation of this approach is closely linked to the structure, effectiveness, and competence of the board of directors and audit committees, due to their institutional governance. Given the banking sector's strict oversight by regulatory authorities and the high level of disclosure obligations, it is believed that the impact of audit committees on integrated reporting will be more clearly observed. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of the structural characteristics of audit committees of banks listed on the Borsa Istanbul on integrated reporting. By deeply examining the functionality of audit committees in integrated reporting processes, the research aims to contribute to understanding the role these committees play in the context of corporate governance. This study compiled data from 108 reports published by 12 banks in the BIST banking sector over nine years, between 2016 and 2024, and tested these data using panel data analysis methods. Panel logistic regression was used in the analysis. The analysis determined that audit committee members' characteristics, such as their financial expertise, had no statistically significant impact on integrated reporting. Integrated reporting was determined to be influenced by the frequency of bank audit committee meetings and the number of female members.