Accountability Disclosure Index Research Articles

Human resource accounting disclosure (HRAD) practices: Evidence from banking industry in Bangladesh

The study investigates 28 banks listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange's degree of human resource accounting disclosure standards. The study took into account a two-step procedure to gauge the extent of HRA disclosure in the annual reports of each distinct bank for each year: Building the human resource accounting disclosure index and grading the disclosure items are the first two steps. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, tabulation, and graphical representation. The outcome shows that banking organizations' accounting disclosures for human resources are still in their infancy. Standard, Southeast, and Mercantile Banks collectively disclose the most HRA information, while ICB Islamic Bank Ltd. discloses the least information. The study has the implication for current professional practice and is an important addition to existing literature in the arena of human resource accounting disclosure.

Stakeholder accountability in the era of big data: an exploratory study of online platform companies

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the nature and extent of disclosure on the use of big data by online platform companies and how these disclosures address and discharge stakeholder accountability.Design/methodology/approachContent analysis of annual reports and data policy documents of 100 online platform companies were used for this study. More specifically, the study develops a comprehensive big data disclosure framework to assess the nature and extent of disclosures provided in corporate reports. This framework also assists in evaluating the effect of the size of the company, industry and country in which they operate on disclosures.FindingsThe analysis reveals that most companies made limited disclosure on how they manage big data. Only two of the 100 online platform companies have provided moderate disclosures on big data related issues. The focus of disclosure by the online platform companies is more on data regulation compliance and privacy protection, but significantly less on the accountability and ethical issues of big data use. More specifically, critical issues, such as stakeholder engagement, breaches of customer information and data reporting and controlling mechanisms are largely overlooked in current disclosures. The analysis confirms that current attention has been predominantly given to powerful stakeholders such as regulators as a result of compliance pressure while the accountability pressure has yet to keep up the pace.Research limitations/implicationsThe study findings may be limited by the use of a new accountability disclosure index and the specific focus on online platform companies.Practical implicationsAlthough big data permeates, the number of users and uses grow and big data use has become more ingrained into society, this study provides evidence that ethical and accountability issues persist, even among the largest online companies. The findings of this study improve the understanding of the current state of online companies’ reporting practices on big data use, particularly the issues and gaps in the reporting process, which will help policymakers and standard setters develop future data disclosure policies.Social implicationsFrom these findings, the study improves the understanding of the current state of online companies’ reporting practices on big data use, particularly the issues and gaps in the reporting process – which are helpful for policymakers and standard setters to develop data disclosure policies.Originality/valueThis study provides an analysis of ethical and social issues surrounding big data accountability, an emerging but increasingly important area that needs urgent attention and more research. It also adds a new disclosure dimension to the existing accountability literature and provides practical suggestions to balance the interaction between online platform companies and their stakeholders to promote the responsible use of big data.

Developing the Modified Accountability Disclosure Index for Local Governments

Developing the Modified Accountability Disclosure Index for Local Governments

Developing the modified accountability disclosure index for local governments

Citizens desire for transparent information urges the government to improve its delivery of services through information disclosure. High corruption cases are reported among public officials resulting from low disclosure of accountability practices among local governments. This paper aimed to explain the development of a disclosure index, the modified accountability disclosure index (MoADi), for local governments in Malaysia. MoADi acts as a comprehensive checklist to assess the extent of accountability practices disclosed on the websites of Malaysian local governments. MoADi checklist includes seven categories of information: overview, management, core services, customer management, presentation, delivery and others. MoADi consists of 100 checklist items which adopts dichotomous and unweighted scoring method. Thorough steps were involved in the development of MoADi. MoADi helps local governments to regularly monitor the accountability practices prior to the auditing process by the authoritative agencies. This paper contributes to the existing literature on disclosure of accountability practices in public sector.

Disclosure of Accountability Practices on Websites of Malaysian City Councils

Accountability in the public sector has been widely scrutinised due to the increasing demand from various stakeholders including the public. Disclosure practices could substantially improve the accountability of the public sector through the usage of technology, i.e., websites. This paper examined the extent of the disclosure of accountability practices (DACP) on the websites of the entire Malaysian city councils. A content analysis was carried out to analyse the content of official websites of 14 city council. A Modified Accountability Disclosure Index (MOADI) comprised of 100 disclosure items was adopted to measure the extent of the DACP of Malaysian city councils. There was an average of 59% of the extent of DACP found on the website of city councils. The findings further indicated that the highest and the least frequent information disclosed by the city councils were classified under delivery and other information, respectively. This paper contributes a significant finding which highlights the importance of the website as a medium for discharging accountability to enhance the overall administrative system in local authorities’. The findings provide valuable insights and implications about accountability practices to several groups of stakeholders including the local authorities, regulators, and the community.

HUMAN RESOURCE ACCOUNTING AND CORPORATE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF QUOTED INSURANCE COMPANIES IN NIGERIA

The principal aim of our study was to examine the effect of human resource accounting (Human resource accounting disclosure Index, Training cost, Number of staff and Increment in staff salaries) on corporate financial performance (return on assets and return on equity) of insurance companies quoted on Nigeria Stock Exchange for the period 2012 to 2017. Secondary data of 12 quoted insurance companies were collected mostly from their website and the Nigeria Stock Exchange Port Harcourt office. A non-experimental causal (Ex post facto) research design was appropriately adopted to address the research objectives of the study. The lease square regression analysis, precisely the random effect model was used (with the aid of E-views 10) to empirically answer eight research questions raised in the study. The results showed that human resource accounting disclosure and training cost significantly affect Return on Asset and Return on Equity positively while Number of staff and increment in staff salaries has a statistically significant negative effect on Return on Asset. Based on these results, recommendations were given as follows among others, that: Insurance firms should do more in terms of building the culture of capacity building training, developing and motivating the personnel to put in their best for the financial growth of their organizations and enhancing their capacity to improve organizational performance and Insurance firms should increase their human resource accounting disclosure in other to increase stakeholders’ confidence in doing business with them thereby improving its performance.

Impact of board characteristics on environmental disclosures for listed mining companies in China.

This paper examines the impact of board characteristics on environmental accounting information disclosure for listed mining companies in China. Board characteristics were categorized into board size, independence characteristics, diversity characteristics, behavioral characteristics, and incentive characteristics. The study further extended to analyze the impact of board characteristics on environmental disclosure before and after the promulgation of Environmental Information Disclosure Degree (EIDD). Using multiple regression analysis with a sample of 34 listed mining companies from both Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges covering 2000-2018 period, we find a significant positive correlation between board size and Environmental Accounting Disclosure Index (EADI). Also, board independence measured by independent directors and the separation of the chief executive officer from board chairman revealed a positive and significant relationship with EADI. Similarly, behavioral characteristics measured by board meeting were positively correlated with EADI at 1% significant level. In terms of diversity characteristics, both females on board and foreign nationals revealed a negative and insignificant relationship with EADI, while incentive characteristics saw an inconclusive correlation with EADI. Our findings are useful to top managers and regulators who are interested in improving corporate governance practices and environmental information disclosure.

PENGARUH KARAKTERISTIK PERUSAHAAN TERHADAP PENGUNGKAPAN AKUNTANSI SUMBER DAYA MANUSIA

<p>ABSTRACT <br /> Human resources is an intangible asset and is the most important factor<br />that determines the success of the company . The role of human resources (HR) in<br />the development of the business world that is increasingly rapidly considered very<br />important for any company . Qualified human resources will lead the<br />organization in both comparative advantage and competitive basis and was<br />instrumental in running the company's operations and optimally executing<br />business strategy .This research aims to determine the effect of company size , size<br />of board of commissioners , the concentration of ownership and status on the<br />disclosure of accounting lisitng human resources .<br /> Type of data used in this study is secondary data. Purposive sampling<br />method used in sample selection. The results of this study prove that<br />simultaneously (F est) accounting disclosure index of human resources can be<br />explained by all the variables. While (t test) indicates that the variable board size<br />significantly influence accounting disclosure of human resources .<br /> <br />Keywords :human resources accounting disclosure, company size, the<br />concentration of ownership and listing status</p>

DEVELOPING ACCOUNTABILITY DISCLOSURE INDEX FOR MALAYSIAN STATE ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS COUNCILS (SIRCS): QUANTITY AND QUALITY

This study aims to develop Accountability Disclosure Index (ADI) for Malaysian State Islamic Religious Councils (SIRC), concerning both quantity and quality. In this case, the quality of disclosure items was developed based on the qualitative characteristics, which rely on the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) conceptual framework; namely, relevance, faithful representation, understandability, comparability and timeliness. Each characteristic is scored based on the ‘benchmark’ score, ranging from poor (1) to excellent (5). However, some of the characteristics have been modified to contextualize the SIRC study setting. Both quantity and quality of disclosure items index might contribute to a methodology for analysing and evaluating annual reports. Results show fifty-seven items of disclosure information, which were regarded by stakeholders relevant to be disclosed by SIRC. Indeed, all these disclosure items should be disclosed in SIRC annual reports, so as to meet the expectations of a wide range of stakeholders. With regards to the quality of disclosure, two different sets of qualitative characteristics for non-financial and financial statement disclosure were designed. All five qualitative characteristics were adapted to measure the quality of financial disclosure, whereas for non-financial disclosure, 'timeliness' was dropped due to the voluntarily nature of non-financial disclosure.

Does financial performance really improve the environmental accounting disclosure practices in India: an empirical evidence from nifty companies

The study was conducted to examine whether the financial performance really improves environmental accounting disclosure practices of NIFTY companies. For study five years annual reports were taken (2011-2015), environmental accounting disclosure practices was measured by computing an environmental accounting disclosure index and financial performance was measured by using proxies (variables) such as by NPM, ROCE, EPS, DPS, ROA, ROE, P/E, DPR, ROS and MPS. The relationship between average environmental accounting disclosure practices and average financial performance was tested by using multiple regression. The study found positive relationship between average environmental accounting disclosure index and average ROCE, average EPS, average DPS, average ROA, average ROE, average P/E, and average MPS; and on the other hand the study also found negative relationship between average environmental accounting disclosure index and average NPM, average DPR, and average ROS.

Does financial performance really improve the environmental accounting disclosure practices in India: an empirical evidence from nifty companies

The study was conducted to examine whether the financial performance really improves environmental accounting disclosure practices of NIFTY companies. For study five years annual reports were taken (2011-2015), environmental accounting disclosure practices was measured by computing an environmental accounting disclosure index and financial performance was measured by using proxies (variables) such as by NPM, ROCE, EPS, DPS, ROA, ROE, P/E, DPR, ROS and MPS. The relationship between average environmental accounting disclosure practices and average financial performance was tested by using multiple regression. The study found positive relationship between average environmental accounting disclosure index and average ROCE, average EPS, average DPS, average ROA, average ROE, average P/E, and average MPS; and on the other hand the study also found negative relationship between average environmental accounting disclosure index and average NPM, average DPR, and average ROS.

Developing an Accountability Disclosure Index for Statutory Bodies: A Proposal

This study proposes a comprehensive disclosure index to measure the extent of disclosure of accountability information in statutory bodies’ annual reports. The index is driven by the public accountability paradigm which establishes that a wide range of information need to be provided to various stakeholders. It is developed primarily based on a comprehensive review of the public sector disclosure literature, various reporting requirements and guidelines and a review of existing reporting practices. A comprehensive disclosure index which may be referred to as Accountability Disclosure Index (ADI) comprising 110 disclosure items was constructed. It consists of five categories (overview, governance, financial, performance and others) and 24 subcategories and adopted a binary and unweighted method of scoring. It has passed through the internal validity, reliability and pilot test.The index-either in its full form or with minor modifications-can be employed by future researchers across other equivalent semi-governmental bodies. The index can also be used by public managers to self-assess their disclosure level and benchmark against other entities. Also, stakeholders can evaluate the level of disclosure of statutory bodies, which in turn suggests the level of transparency and accountability discharged by these entities.

Corporate social responsibility: what motivates management to disclose?

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to provide empirical evidence on the significance of signal breaches from technical trading indicators in explaining variations in the level of corporate social responsibility disclosures (CSRD) by firms. The authors seek to determine whether firms disclose corporate social responsibility (CSR) information in a genuine attempt to report their impact on society and environment or whether firms use CSRD as a shield to legitimise their business operations.Design/methodology/approach– Signal breaches from the Moving Average Convergence Divergence and Chande’s TrendScore technical trading indicators were utilised, while the voluntary environmental and social accounting disclosure index developed by Williams (1998) was adapted to measure the extent of CSRD by Singaporean firms in 2011. Ordinary least squares regression was the principal multivariate statistical technique used to analyse the data collected.Findings– Findings of this paper indicate a positive and significant association between the number of technical indicator signal breaches for a firm and the level of CSRD by that firm, particularly in the environment, energy, human resources and products and customers categories.Research limitations/implications– The collection of CSRD information is based solely on annual reports and within the context of Singapore. Results, therefore, are not completely generalisable to different jurisdictional settings.Practical implications– Findings suggest that firms with a volatile stock price trend provide greater CSRD, possibly as a legitimacy strategy to distract or change the perceptions of investors from its current legitimacy status. Findings, therefore, highlight to regulators the need to strengthen regulatory requirements and implement stricter guidelines on CSR reporting, given the importance of CSRD to users.Social implications– Findings from this study have several implications for various stakeholders including investors, regulators and society in general. Overall, findings also suggest that stakeholders should not rely solely on CSRD in their decision-making process.Originality/value– This is the first paper that has proxied stock price movement by using breaches in technical trading indicators when examining reported levels of CSRD by firms. Moreover, results greatly build on the sparse CSR research on Singapore.

Examining statements of service performance: Evidence from wastewater services in new zealand

The statement of service performance is a mandatory report provided by local governments in New Zealand. Despite 20 years' reporting experience, the Office of the Auditor-General (2008) criticised the poor quality of these reports. Past theoretical literature has attempted to develop a framework for the accountability expectations of documents provided by public-sector entities (Stewart, 1984). The purpose of this paper is to measure the consistency of the statements of service performance about wastewater services made by New Zealand local governments with the accountability expectations, using an accountability disclosure index. The paper reveals a moderately high level of consistency. “Probity” and “legality” accountability disclosures are high while “process/efficiency” and “performance programme-effectiveness” accountability are less emphasised. The results suggest that accountability expectations provide a useful tool for evaluating statements of service performance.

Explaining the accounting disclosure index of stock exchanges by foreign exchange market activity

In this article, researcher-created accounting disclosure index of 23 stock exchanges for the year 1992 and its relationship with variables including foreign exchange turnover, economic and financial indicators were investigated. The accounting disclosure index of global stock exchanges crafted by Adhikari and Tondkar (1992) was regressed on foreign market turnover which was utilized as a proxy for foreign exchange market activity. The OLS results supported that along with the activity of foreign exchange market; GNI per capita, market capitalization, energy and electric consumption, number of listed companies were significantly related with the accounting disclosure index. The foreign market turnover was found to be positively influencing the accounting disclosure index. The models explained about 73% of the variation in the index with an F-ratio of 26.56 indicating the overall significance of the model.

Explaining the Accounting Disclosure Index of Stock Exchanges by Foreign Exchange Market Activity

In this article, researcher-created accounting disclosure index of 23 stock exchanges for the year 1992 and its relationship with variables including foreign exchange turnover, economic and financial indicators are investigated. The accounting disclosure index of global stock exchanges crafted by Adhikari and Tondkar (1992) is regressed on foreign market turnover which is utilized as a proxy for foreign exchange market activity. The OLS results support that along with the activity of foreign exchange market; GNI per capita, market capitalization, energy and electric consumption, number of listed companies are significantly related with the accounting disclosure index. The foreign market turnover is found to be positively influencing the accounting disclosure index. The model explains the 73% of the variation in the index with an F-ratio of 26.56 indicating the overall significance of the model.