Nexus between risk disclosure and corporate reputation: a longitudinal approach

Abstract

PurposeThe study aims to explore the unexplored domain by examining the impact of risk disclosure on corporate reputation in an emerging economy, like India, characterized by huge information asymmetry and uncertainty.Design/methodology/approachIn total two measures of corporate reputation, i.e. market capitalization and excess of market value over book value have been deployed to measure reputation. Automated content analysis has been executed to measure the extent of total risk disclosure. The empirical analysis is premised on a sample of S&P BSE-100 index spanning over the period of ten years from 2009–2010 to 2018–2019; which eventually gets reduced to 58 nonfinancial firms. In order to unearth the risk–reputation relationship, a panel regression technique has been employed.FindingsThe main findings unmask that corporate risk disclosure has a positive bearing on corporate reputation. Substantiating legitimacy theory, its alternative measures like market capitalization and excess of market value over book value divulged to positively influence corporate reputation.Research limitations/implicationsThe study has certain limitations: since there is no standard method of measuring reputation, the results may vary subject to the changes in proxies of corporate reputation. The study also analyzed S&P BSE 100 index in India, and future research needs to approach a larger sample and in other emerging economies to fill up enough empirical evidence in this domain.Practical implicationsThe findings provide insight into the managers on making higher divulgence of material risk information for augmenting corporate reputation. In other words, it indirectly propels the firm to exhibit higher risk information for building reputational capital. From the investor's standpoint, they should admire such firms which dispel more risk information and should have positive outlook toward them, which in turn prompts them to disclose more risks.Originality/valueThis study is unique as it is the first longitudinal study examining the impact of risk disclosure on corporate reputation in Indian settings. It, thus, assists in furthering the risk disclosure literature where there is hardly any study that comprehensively looks into risk–reputation liaison among Indian nonfinancial companies.