Determinants of Corporate Social Disclosure in Developing Countries: The Case of Qatar

Abstract

Abstract In this study, an attempt is made to test the validity of theories employed in the literature to explain variation in the extent of corporate voluntary disclosure within the corporate social disclosure context. The annual reports of 21 out of the 22 companies listed on the Doha Stock Exchange in Qatar were used as a basis for the study. Variations in corporate social disclosure by the sampled Qatari companies are found to be associated with firm size measured by the firm's market capitalisation, business risk measured by leverage and corporate growth. The outcome of the study lends partial support to agency theory, political economy theory, legitimacy theory, stakeholder theory as well as the accountability approach.