The influence of culture on disclosures in financial statements prepared under International Financial Reporting Standards

Abstract

The primary objective of this article is to investigate the impact of culture (as measured by Hofstede) on disclosures in financial statements prepared under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) by firms from different countries. The sample comprises 2011−2013 consolidated financial statements of stock companies (excluding banks, insurance, and other financial institutions) from four countries repre- senting different cultural areas: the United Kingdom (Anglo), Germany (Germanic), Poland (Central Eastern Europe; CEE) and Kuwait (Arab). The research material came from 312 annual consolidated financial statements from 104 companies. The results reveal that cultural values have a significant impact on financial disclosures even after the use of IFRS. The paper is one of the few comparative studies attempting to assess the effects of culture on financial disclosures in Western Europe countries, CEE countries and Arab countries. Most of the international comparative studies in this research area have neglected CEE and Arab countries.