Disclosure Of Non-financial Information Research Articles

The impact of managerial political ties on corporate governance and debt financing: Evidence from Ghana

In this study, we draw upon insights from agency theory to examine the impact of managerial political ties on cost of debt and also to explore whether corporate governance mediates this impact. We hypothesize that political ties reduce financial reporting quality, disclosure of non-financial information and board independence, and are therefore associated with higher interest rates. We also hypothesize that the negative effect of political ties on the cost of debt will be stronger if firms borrow from privately-owned banks versus government-owned banks. Using data from Ghana, we find support for our direct and moderation hypotheses; political ties are associated with high interest rates and poor corporate governance. However, we do not find evidence of mediation. Altogether, the findings reveal the dark side of political connections and highlight the cost of political embeddedness in emerging credit markets.

Factors Influencing Voluntary Disclosure in the Annual Reports of Portuguese Foundations

The aim of this paper is to examine the influence of Portuguese Foundation’s characteristics on their annual report disclosure practices. Data were collected from 142 Foundations in Portugal, which represents 50.9% of the Portuguese foundational sector. Supported by a Structural Equation Model (SEM), this study evaluates cause–effect relationship between Voluntary Disclosure, Board Structure, Organizations’ Characteristics and the existence of Auditing. Findings reveal that Organizations’ Characteristics influence the forms of Auditing, and on its turn, Auditing has a positive indirect impact on Voluntary Disclosure. Contrary to expectations, Board Structure does not affect Voluntary Disclosure. This paper fills a void in the literature by examining the impact of Foundations’ characteristics on their voluntary disclosure of financial and non-financial information.

How do investors view information disclosure quality rating?

PurposeFollowing Cheng et al. (2012) and Tan et al. (2015), this paper aims to investigate how does the forward-looking information disclosure quality affect the investors’ decisions and then the investment efficiency.Design/methodology/approachThe authors obtain the information disclosure quality rating data from the official website of the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE), and firm financial information is mainly from the China Center for Economic Research (CCER) and China Stock Market and Accounting Research Database (CSMAR). The authors choose firms that publicly traded on the SZSE during the period from 2004 to 2010, and the final sample consists of 2,415 firm-year observations for 345 unique firms.FindingsThe authors find that a firm with a high information disclosure quality rating is trusted by investors more. Forward-looking non-financial information (FNFI) disclosure alleviates financial constraints and improves investment efficiency, including alleviating underinvestment and preventing overinvestment to a larger extent for firms with high information disclosure quality rating, especially for the firms rated A (excellent) or B (good) every year since 2001, when the rating began. Moreover, this study proves that investors trust the firms rated high more but do not guard against the firms rated low enough.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors only considered the quantity of FNFI disclosed by firms and ignored other characteristics of FNFI. Limited by the data of information disclosure quality rating, the research sample is just from the SZSE.Originality/valueThis paper extends the research of Cheng et al. (2012) and Tan et al. (2015) to show that one of the reasons behind the extant mix results of the relationship between FNF disclosure and investment efficiency is different information disclosure quality. High-quality FNFI disclosure can alleviate underinvestment and prevent overinvestment at same time.

Public companies non-financial reporting and audit in Ukraine: challenges and prospects

Public interest entities and public companies as their representatives should be an example in implementing of sustainable development initiatives (sustainable development goals of the United Nations, development strategy «Europe-2020», «Sustainable Development Strategy»Ukraine-2020») in the light of Association agreement. Main challenges for Ukrainian public companies are non-financial information disclosure and assurance of both financial and non-financial reporting through statutory audit. Key prospects of public companies accounting system reform were outlined in this regard. This research may contribute to the existing literature in regard of identifying key areas of improving financial and non-financial information PIEs disclosure as well as its independent verification through statutory audit. This improvement should incorporate European experience and provision of Directive 2014/95 / EU, Directive 2013/34 / EU, Directive 2014/56 / EU and Regulation (EU) no. 537/2014. Among the promising areas of research, introduction of integrated reporting for Ukrainian PIEs is worth noting.

Public companies’ transparency in Ukraine: key regulatory requirements

Public companies as strategically important and economically powerful Ukrainian companies should be classified as public interest entities in the context of European integration. Based on the research methodology of the Index of public companies’ transparency of the Center for CSR Development and research of largest public and private companies’ transparency in Ukraine, conducted by TI, the authors concluded about critically low level of transparency of public companies in the disclosure of audited financial reporting, as well as non-financial reporting. This research may contribute to the existing literature in regard to identifying key areas of improving transparency of public companies in Ukraine on the basis of amendments to the existing order of reporting and additional disclosure of non-financial information and carrying out the statutory audit, taking into account European experience. Among the issues that require further study, the authors should name the relationship between the level of transparency of public companies, their financial efficiency and investment attractiveness. Among the promising areas of research, the extension of the study on transparency of public interest entities after the publication by the European companies of the first statements prepared in accordance with Directive 2014/95/EU is worth noting. Limitations of the research carried out concerned the size of the sample Ukrainian public companies analyzed.

Do Disclosures of Customer Metrics Lower Investors’ and Analysts’ Uncertainty but Hurt Firm Performance?

Investors, analysts, and regulators frequently advocate greater disclosure of nonfinancial information, such as customer metrics. Managers, however, argue that such metrics are costly to report, reveal sensitive information to competitors, and therefore will lower future cash flows. To examine these counterarguments, this study presents the first empirical examination of the prevalence and consequences of backward- and forward-looking disclosures of customer metrics by manually coding 511 annual reports of firms in two industries, telecommunications (365 reports) and airlines (146 reports). The results reveal significant heterogeneity in the disclosure of customer metrics across firms and between industries. On average, in both industries, firms make more backward-looking than forward-looking disclosures. Notably, forward-looking disclosures of customer metrics are negatively associated with investors’ uncertainty in both industries and with analysts’ uncertainty in the telecommunications industry. Importantly, the results do not support the managerial thesis that such disclosures have a negative impact on future cash flows.

Internet financial reporting practices in India: A study of selected Indian companies

Corporate disclosure plays an important role in the fulfilment of financial accounting objectives. Companies have started the use of the internet, to disclose or communicate all necessary information, to inform present and potential investors and other stakeholders, with regard to company information. The paper attempts to investigate the level of internet financial reporting practices of Indian companies, towards disclosure of financial and non-financial information, on their web sites. The paper also studies the influence of company characteristics on their disclosure score. The result shows that there is positive association between company size and profitability, with internet financial reporting practices of the companies. It is also observed that there is great deal of variation in content and presentation of the information, disclosed on the web sites and terminology used for describing the information. The paper reveals that no consistent pattern could be used, to access multiple websites, by different users.

CSR – a fashion or real commitment? The case of polish listedcompanies

This article, without claiming to be the ultimate reference, aims at assessing the social commitment of the large and solid financially, listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE), Polish companies, on the eve of the implementation of the EU directive on disclosure of non-financial and diversity information (2014/95/EU). The selected companies seem perfect to form a vanguard of CSR in Poland, but the results of the analysis indicate that despite the existing efforts for CSR standardization and better implementation, the situation in Poland is not so optimistic. The limited attention paid to CSR norms as well as CSR reporting under Polish law means also that foreign companies seeking access to Polish capital market generally will not face serious constraints in terms of regulations regarding sustainable development. The EU directive will certainly change this situation but there is a visible need for continuing education of companies in this field.

Reporting on sustainable development: Characteristics, disadvantages and perspectives in the Republic of Serbia

Reporting on sustainable development has traditionally been a part of the management report. However, after the year 2000 many companies started to prepare separate report on sustainable development based on the current reporting framework. Giving that quality of sustainable information was not at the expected level, based on the fact that the sustainable reports were prepared voluntarily by companies, European Commission passed the Directive 2014/95/EU which serves as amending Directive 2013/34/EU. The Directive 2014/95/EU states that entities with more than 500 employees have an obligation to report certain non-financial information as a supplement to the management report. Otherwise stated, the Directive requires that under the specified condition, entities prepare the sustainable development report based on one among many contemporary frameworks. Research conducted on the entities whose shares are traded at the Belgrade Stock Exchange shows that Serbian companies prepare superficial reports, focusing more on the form than the content and usefulness of this information reported on the surface of the management report. The research shows also that development of sustainable reporting in Serbia is at a very low level. It seems that only one company from the Belex 15 index prepares the separate sustainable report based on GRI standards. Taking into consideration that the practice of adequate disclosure of non-financial information is missing in Serbia, sustained by the inadequate mindset of investors that do not support the importance of this information, the application of this newly passed Directive which is going to be operationalized in the Company Law in Serbia or the Law on Accounting, require Serbian companies to invest great effort in order to prepare this report.

Disclosure Of Non-Financial Information In Corporate Social Reporting As A Strategy For Improving Management Effectiveness

Disclosure Of Non-Financial Information In Corporate Social Reporting As A Strategy For Improving Management Effectiveness

Интегрированная отчетность — новая форма корпоративного отчета

The article is devoted to the preparation of integrated reporting as a new form of consolidated statement, affecting issues of disclosure of non-financial information about the company’s prospects for development, the effectiveness of its selection of methods of competition and business, the environment in which the organization exists, existing or emerging from her opportunities and risks, as well as quality of management

Expectations of Stakeholders on the Information Disclosure from the Malaysian State Islamic Religious Councils (SIRCs) Reporting

A good report should satisfy the expectations of the users based on their need of information. The present study views the users as a wide range of stakeholder groups as the concerned under the banner of public accountability, in which it explicates the right of the public to information about public sector organisations in discharging their accountability. Due to this, public managers are accountable to provide satisfactory information to the public for their actions and inactions to prevent any sanctions. SIRCs are not exempt. This study aims to identify the stakeholders’ expectations of information disclosure from the SIRCs annual reports by conducting an online questionnaire survey. Such annual reports consist of financial and non-financial information, the fact that the annual report is the only single document that can provide information comprehensively about the reporting entity as that commonly practiced among the companies. The findings reveal that both financial and non-financial information disclosure are important. External stakeholders expected more information from the SIRCs’ annual reports than SIRCs themselves. However, on average there is no significant difference in the responses of the disclosure items between internal and external stakeholders. But, there is significant difference across the six sub-stakeholder groups. Strategic information is the only information category significantly different. Nevertheless, comparing means for each of the disclosure item in every category of information, it infers several significant differences in their information expectations. As such, this study can be an avenue for future development of reporting framework to fairly satisfy the expectations of multiple stakeholders specifically for SIRCs in Malaysia yet it might be useful also for other not-for-profit (NPO), charities, religious bodies and public sectors in other countries.

Modern Trends and Issues of Corporate Reporting Data Disclosure on Organization Activities

The major objective of this study is to review trends and ways to improve the disclosure of organization activities in corporate reporting in the context of increasing stakeholders’ needs. The object of study is financial and non-financial companies’ reporting. The achievement of this goal included realization of following tasks: 1) to reveal the background of non-financial company reporting maintenance and to identify the stages of corporate reporting model evolution; 2) to examine and validate the process of integrated reporting concept formation and promotion at international scale as it is the main trend of corporate reporting improvement; 3) to identify and disclose problems of non-financial reporting formation and presentation; 4) to study the development of corporate reporting standardization with regard to the disclosure of non-financial information on company’s activities; and 5) to assess the prevalence of non-financial reporting within Russian corporate practices. The study involves comparative analysis of the Guide to Sustainability Reporting and the International Integrated Reporting Council. According to its results, non-financial reporting, remaining voluntary, becomes common practice and evidence of a strong corporate culture. In conclusion, the article introduces the directions of non-financial reporting further development, implementation of which could expand the corporate practice of its formation throughout the world. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n3p212

The integrated reporting: A presentation of the current state of art and aspects of integrated reporting that need further development

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to synthesise what is the emerging field of integrated reporting, with particular emphasis in the International Integrated Reporting Council, and outline a list of items for future research in this area. Design/methodology/approach : The approach is to outline a presentation of integrated reporting (IR), and make a review of the implications for the research agenda of the most important items. Findings: The need for quality researchers to address a number of pressing challenges posed by the rapid development of IR policies and practices. Research limitations/implications: The paper provide insights into issues and aspects of integrated reporting that need further development and need robust evidence to help inform improvements in policy and practice. Practical implications: Highlight how companies may benefit from integrated reporting in response to stakeholders’ calls for enhanced disclosure of environmental, social, governance and other non financial information. Social implications: The main social implication is to promote the wider public interest of improving the relevance of information for decision-making, for all stakeholders, and allow greater efficiency in the allocation of financial and other resources and in adding public value Originality/value: This paper offers a general view on a subject that is a challenge for entities oriented to the implementation of sustainability in their values and also in their reporting.

Literature Review on the Impression Management in Corporate Information Disclosure

The presentation of corporate disclosure may be explained by impression management. Previous studies find the existence of impression management in the corporate information disclosure including the financial information disclosure and the non-financial information disclosure. This paper is going to make a complete literature review on these studies related to impression management.

Financial Centers And The Relationship Between ESG Disclosure And Firm Performance: Evidence From An Emerging Market

<p>Is the disclosure of non-financial information, such as that related to environmental, social, and governance (ESG), important for firm performance in emerging markets? Does the extent of information asymmetries affect the way stock market participants react towards ESG disclosure? This paper answers these questions and shows that ESG disclosure is negatively related to firm performance in environments with lower information asymmetries. We argue that this negative relationship exists because ESG activities are considered as unrelated costs that reduce shareholders profits and wealth. Our results also show no significant impact of ESG disclosure on firm performance in environments with higher information asymmetries. Given that information is less reliable in environments with lower information asymmetries, it is very much possible that ESG disclosure is not valued by stock market participants.</p>

Does forward-looking non-financial information consistently affect investment efficiency?

Purpose – The aim of this paper, which is based on Cheng et al.’s (2012) research, is to re-examines the relationship between a firms’ voluntary disclosure of forward-looking non-financial information (FNFI) and investment efficiency. Design/methodology/approach – The authors chose firms that publicly traded in the Shenzhen and Shanghai stock markets from 2005 to 2011, a total of 926 firms and 6,482 firm-year. To control the endogeneity problem between FNFI and investment efficiency, the authors lagged the FNFI variable for one year. Findings – The authors found that FNFI alleviates a firms’ underinvestment but leads to overinvestment. These effects become gradually weaker over time. In addition, the results indicate that corporate governance helps improve the quality of FNFI, thus boosting investors’ confidence and easing financial constraints. Research limitations/implications – The limitations of this paper are mainly focused on the measure of FNFI. The authors only considered the quantity of FNFI disclosed by firms and ignored other characteristics of FNFI. Originality/value – Based on Cheng et al.’s (2012) static findings, this paper considers the dynamic role of FNFI in firms’ investment decisions.

Corporate Political Agency

This Essay explains why the investor-shareholder relationship gives rise to political agency problems that neither the Law and Economics nor the critical Corporate Social Responsibility literature have acknowledged. The corporate separation between ownership and management results in many social benefits, but imposes costs on the democratic process. The corporate structure requires managers, as agents, to maximize their principal shareholders’ wealth. This requirement is insensitive to the principals’ political preferences on how profits should be pursued, and may therefore result in an overall decrease in shareholders’ welfare. This Essay suggests that these costs could be reduced by disclosing information about the impact of corporate activities on issues of political concern. Using insights from financial markets theory, it points out how disclosure of non-financial information would help to ensure a better alignment of corporate actions with the political preferences of shareholders, their rational passivity and apathy notwithstanding.

Assessing the quality of corporate social responsibility reports: the case of reporting practices in selected European Union member states.

The organization may communicate its engagement in sustainability and may presents results achieved in this field by creating and publishing corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports. Today, we can observe a growing number of companies issuing such reports as a part of their annual reports or as stand-alone CSR reports. Despite the increase in the number of such reports their quality is different. CSR reports do not always provide complete data that readers desire, which in turn intensifies the problem with the evaluation and comparison of the organization’s results achieved in this scope. Differences also occur between reporting models used in different EU countries caused by, inter alia, differently applied EU legislation on the disclosure of non-financial information in different Member States. This paper is one of the first attempts to perform a quantitative and qualitative analysis of corporate sustainability reporting practices in several European Union countries. The purpose of this article is to present the current state of CSR reporting practices in selected EU Member States and identify the differences in the quality and level of this kind of practices, taking into account the mandatory and voluntary model of disclosure. The study included separate CSR reports as well as annual reports with CSR sections and integrated reports published in 2012 in six selected EU Member States. The authors have used a specific evaluation tool in the examination of the individual reports. The assessment questionnaire consists of seventeen criteria grouped into two categories (relevance and credibility of information). In order to assess the quality of examined reports, the authors aggregated the indicators related with the reporting practices. The findings show that the quality level of the studied reports is generally low. Referring to its components, the relevance of the information provided in the assessed reports is at the higher level than its credibility. The study also indicates that the legal obligation of CSR data disclosure has a positive effect on the quality of CSR reports.

New EU Directive on the Disclosure of Non-Financial Information (CSR)

In October 2014 the EU adopted new rules on the disclosure of non-financial information, otherwise known as corporate social responsibility (CSR) information. The new requirements bring the CSR disclosure regulation in the EU in line with the current best practices and constitute a huge step forward compared to the existing rules on the disclosure of non-financial information.This article analyses the likely impact of the amended Accounting Directive; its scope of application, what should be disclosed and how the directive should be enforced. In doing so, the article compares the new requirements to current best practices and experiences, especially using the experiences with mandatory CSR reporting in Denmark and the experiences with corporate governance reporting in the EU. Based on these experiences the article also makes predictions of whether the new requirements are likely to increase the quantity of the non-financial information disclosed and the consistency and comparability of the reports.