Governance transparency among the largest multinational corporations: Influence of firm, industry and national factors

Abstract

Using the Transparency in Corporate Reporting index from Transparency International, this paper examines the factors that influence the transparency of the world’s largest multinational corporations (MNCs). Our results show that while firm and industry characteristics are important, so is MNC nationality. Somewhat surprisingly, lower MNC transparency is associated with a higher market-to-book ratio, the finance and technology industries, higher national GDP, English legal origin, greater national emphasis on market (rather than bank) financing, and the cultural dimensions of uncertainty avoidance, power distance and masculinity. Higher levels of transparency are associated with individualism. In sum, we find that home country characteristics remain important in determining the transparency of even the world’s largest MNCs.