Measuring the Level of Voluntary Disclosure in Commercial Banks and its Effect on Improving Financial Performance: an Applied Study on Number of Commercial Banks in the Iraqi Stock Exchange

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study is to know the impact of voluntary disclosure on the financial performance of Iraqi commercial banks. It is able to attract the largest number of investors, as the information and data contained in the financial reports no longer truly reflect its financial position. Theoretical framework: Voluntary disclosure plays a pivotal role in reducing the cost of financial analysts obtaining the necessary information to build their predictions about profits and cash flows achieved in the future, and thus will contribute to rationalizing investors' decisions and thus improving the efficiency of financial markets. Design/methodology/methodology: The study population consists of (15) commercial banks listed in the Iraqi Stock Exchange, and a ten-year time series has been selected and the period extends from (2010-2019), government and Islamic banks have been excluded due to the difference In the privacy of applicable regulations. Find: The results of the study showed a positive and moral impact of voluntary disclosure on financial performance, while the effect of voluntary disclosure on the rate of return on assets and the rate of return on equity was also positive, while the effect of voluntary disclosure on earnings per share was negative, and in the end, the researcher recommended a set of recommendations Perhaps the most important of them is the need for intervention by bodies, unions and the government in order to put in place a set of instructions, controls, laws and legislations necessary to regulate the process of voluntary disclosure, while clarifying the advantages that can accrue to banks from this disclosure. Research, practical and social implications: This study has dealt with the issue of voluntary disclosure in the academic and administrative fields, where the researcher hopes that the Iraqi banking sector and stakeholders will benefit from this study as it establishes, theoretically and practically, the logical connection of the relationship between voluntary disclosure and financial performance. Originality/value: The study's originality value by measuring the impact of voluntary disclosure on the level of financial performance for the first time in Iraqi commercial banks for the period from (2010-2019) except for governmental and Islamic banks due to the difference in the specificity of the applicable regulations.