Does XBRL adoption increase financial information transparency in digital disclosure environment? Insights from emerging markets

Abstract

The eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) is one of the global-level business reporting standards that accommodates all firms to report financial affairs in a convenient manner. The main objective of this study is to explain the impact of XBRL adoption on the transparency of financial information disclosure in Jordanian financial companies. The current study used a sample of 124 respondents including accounting managers, auditors, and financial managers with a background in XBRL who are working in Jordanian financial firms. The findings confirmed that the adoption of XBRL in Jordanian financial firms increases financial information transparency in the digital disclosure environment which leads to more relevant, reliable, and transparent financial statements disclosure. One main implication the current study heightened is the importance of turning to the implementation of the XBRL will support the process of decision making which will support and enhance both the performance and decision-making process. Lastly, this research effort is the first of its kind that examined the impact of XBRL on the transparency of financial information from the financial firms' perspective in Jordan as a developing country.