Determinants of internet financial disclosure in an emerging market: lessons from Brazil

Abstract

Disclosure transparency is one of the pillars of good corporate governance. Moreover, the digital age has produced a dramatic shift in the corporate communication paradigm. As a result, companies increasingly use the Internet as a means of disseminating and disclosing financial information to shareholders, analysts and other interested capital market participants. This research examines the determinants of voluntary disclosure of financial information on the Internet by Brazilian firms. Cross-sectional analyses based on 291 non-financial companies listed on the São Paulo Stock Exchange in 2002 indicate that both firm size and the quality of corporate governance are positively related to the level of voluntary disclosure of financial information on the Internet. These results are consistent with the notion that Brazilian firms with incentives to improve financial transparency disclose more financial information on the Internet. Compared to similar Internet disclosures of U.S.-domiciled companies, this study finds that corporate governance is an incremental determinant of Internet financial disclosure for Brazilian enterprises