Public Disclosure Research Articles

Differentiating on Diversity: How Disclosing Workforce Diversity Influences Consumer Choice

Many companies are making efforts to diversify their workforces, motivated by documented operational performance benefits and increased pressure to “walk the talk” on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. One specific call to action from stakeholders is the public disclosure of intersectional diversity data in EEO-1s, which companies with 100+ employees must report each year to the federal government, but which companies rarely make publicly available. Conducting five online experiments to examine how consumers perceive transparency into an operation’s workforce diversity, we find no evidence that disclosing workforce diversity data undermines customer attitudes or behaviors toward the company, even when the disclosures reveal racial disparities across job categories. Instead, we find that consumers perceive firms that disclose their workforce diversity data to be more committed to DEI initiatives, view disclosing firms more positively, and are more likely to choose their offerings over those of non-disclosing firms. We find these attitudinal and behavioral differences to be especially pronounced when the disclosures reveal progress in diversification.

Исполнительская дисциплина как детерминанта успешности управленческой деятельности руководителя органов внутренних дел Российской Федерации

Relevance: the article is devoted to one of the urgent problems, namely, performance discipline in the units subordinate to the head of the territorial body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. Problem statement: as practice shows, the issues of high-quality and timely fulfillment by employees of the territorial bodies of internal affairs of the Russian Federation of the legitimate requirements of the head (chief) do not lose their relevance, and in a number of departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia have a stable negative character and are in a state of unresolved. This circumstance forms the improper fulfillment of the tasks assigned to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia by the country's leadership. The purpose of the study: based on the materials of theoretical analysis and empirical research, to define the concept of "performance discipline" in the internal affairs bodies, to analyze its condition, to determine the mechanism for improving the level of performance discipline. Research methods: study and analysis of scientific sources on the research problem, modeling of key concepts, systematization and generalization of the results obtained using content analysis methods. Results and key conclusions: as a result of an empirical study of the reporting documents of the territorial body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia for 2022-2023, it was found that the proportion of the requirements (instructions) of the head fulfilled on time is 86.1%, which, according to the methodology of studying and evaluating management activities in the territorial body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, is an unsatisfactory indicator. The low quality of the reporting documents on the execution of the order was noted. 29.1% of the prepared documents were returned by the subject of control for revision on various grounds. The results obtained during the study confirm our assumption that a high level of executive discipline in the units subordinate to the head of the territorial body of internal affairs of the Russian Federation contributes to the effective protection of citizens and ensuring public order, prevention and disclosure of crimes committed in the territories served.

Non‐monetary sanctions as tax enforcement tools: Evaluating California's top 500 program

AbstractMany U.S. states and countries around the world use non‐monetary sanctions, including public disclosure, license suspension, and withholding of other government‐provided benefits or privileges, to encourage tax compliance. Little is known about the effectiveness of these programs. Using administrative tax microdata from California's “Top 500” program, we study whether notices warning of the imminent publication of a taxpayer's personal information and potential license suspension affect payment and other compliance outcomes. Exploiting variation over time in the cutoff balance for program eligibility, we find evidence of strong positive compliance responses to the program. We also develop estimates of the long‐run revenue and social‐welfare effects of the program. Together, these results suggest that non‐monetary sanctions can be efficient tax enforcement tools, at least among the relatively high‐income population we study.

The influence of communicating agent on users’ willingness to interact: A moderated mediation model

Empowered by AI, chatbots are increasingly being integrated to interact with users in one-on-one communication. However, academic scrutiny on the impact of chatbots on online interaction is lacking. This study aims to fill the gap by applying self-presentation theory (presenting the desired self-impression to others) to explore how the communicating agent (chatbot vs. human agent) in interactive marketing influences users’ interaction willingness, as well as the moderating roles of users’ public self-consciousness (sense of apprehension over self-presentation concern) and sensitive information disclosure (private information linked to an individual). The results of three experimental studies indicate that chatbots can improve users’ willingness to interact by mitigating the self-presentation concern. Further, users’ public self-consciousness and sensitive information disclosure moderated the impact of chatbots in online interactions. These effects were particularly impactful for users with higher public self-consciousness and in situations with sensitive information disclosure. The findings provide theoretical and practical implications for human-chatbot interaction, chatbot strategy, and the application of chatbots in online communication.

Accountability and legitimacy in the annual reports of Bangladeshi NGOs

Purpose The purpose of this research is to investigate how different accountability practices might be observed in the annual reports of non-government organisations (NGOs) in Bangladesh. The study further aims to understand whether such accountability disclosures support NGO legitimacy in Bangladesh and if so, in what form.Design/methodology/approach To fulfil this objective, a content analysis was conducted on the annual reports of 24 selected leading NGOs operating in Bangladesh. The data were then analysed through the not-for-profit accountability framework of Dhanani and Connolly (2012). Theoretical constructs of legitimacy were further mobilised to corroborate the evidence.Findings It was found that NGOs operating in Bangladesh discharged all four types of accountability, i.e., strategic, fiduciary, financial and procedural (Dhanani and Connolly, 2012) through annual reports. The findings further suggested that carrying out these accountabilities supported the legitimation process of NGOs. Moreover, we found that NGOs took care of the needs of both primary and secondary stakeholders although they widely used self-laudatory positively charged words to disclose information about their accountabilities.Originality/value The study contributes to the limited accounting research on the public disclosures of NGOs and not-for-profit firms particularly in emerging economy settings. Also, we contribute to the limited research on the accountability-legitimacy link of NGOs evident in public disclosures like annual reports.

Stress test precision and bank competition

We study a banking sector in which banks choose their asset portfolios and, upon the public disclosure of stress test results, raise funding by promising investors a repayment. Competitive banks must gamble, choosing assets that are riskier the more precise is the stress test. Allocative efficiency, however, improves with precision. When risk taking is not too sensitive to the precision of information, maximal transparency maximizes both stability and surplus. In contrast, banks with market power select safer assets, and opacity maximizes stability, as well the surplus if the social cost of bank failure is significant.

Analysis of Novelty Elements as a Requirement for Patent Registration in Law Number 13 of 2016 Concerning Patents

This study delves into the elements of patent rights and dispute resolution strategies in cases of patent infringement. The background of the research stems from the necessity to understand the legal framework surrounding patent protection and the mechanisms available for resolving disputes in the event of infringement. The primary objective is to identify the crucial components of patent rights and the various methods employed to address disputes arising from alleged patent violations. Employing a normative legal research approach, with both conceptual and statutory analyses, this study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the subject matter. The findings underscore the significance of novelty as a fundamental criterion for patent acceptance, as defined by Law Number 13 of 2016 concerning Patents. Novelty, characterized by the absence of prior public disclosure, usage, or inclusion in existing knowledge standards, is essential for patent registration. The study reveals that patent disputes concerning novelty can be addressed through diverse legal avenues, including patent removal suits, trial proceedings, mediation, patent reexamination, out-of-court settlements, and appellate processes. Furthermore, alternative mechanisms such as arbitration offer additional pathways for resolving disputes. The implications of this research highlight the importance of adhering to novelty requirements during patent registration and understanding the array of dispute resolution mechanisms available to safeguard intellectual property rights.

Analisis Keterbukaan Informasi Publik Terhadap Partisipasi Masyarakat dalam Pembangunan Desa (Kecamatan Kedungwuni Kabupaten Pekalongan)

Openness of public information, community participation and village development are the expectations of everyone, as well as the village community of Kedungwuni Sub-district, Pekalongan Regency. However, everything must be supported by adequate human resources and be able to understand their rights and obligations based on the applicable laws and regulations. The purpose of this research is to analyze and explain the importance of public information disclosure and community participation in village development. This research method uses a qualitative method with descriptive analysis. To analyze and explain the existence of public information disclosure, community participation in village development in Kedungwuni District, Pekalongan Regency. The results of this study, namely: The village government in opening public information has been carried out with the existence of village information boards and village websites. However, community participation is still quite low, so it does not significantly affect village development. Based on the findings of this study, the authorities should make the best innovations so that the village community has the awareness to participate in village development activities.

Complete and Accurate? The Role of Profit Orientation in the Production of Public Health Data

Public officials rely on performance data that are self-reported by organizations to evaluate progress on a wide range of prosocial outcomes. Policies that require public disclosure of performance in health care are thought to enable patients to select high-quality providers, which in turn may spur quality improvements as providers seek to protect their reputation or increase economic returns. Drawing on institutional theory that examines how conflicting institutional pressures influence organizational decisions, we theorize how profit orientation may mediate the response of health care providers to disclosure mandates in a public health crisis. We focus on measures of data quality—completeness and accuracy—in self-reported data on COVID-19 status and outcomes generated by thousands of long-term care facilities. Using pooled regressions and a difference-in-differences style design, we find that overall, for-profit and not-for-profit facilities report similarly complete data but that for-profit facilities report less accurate data than their not-for-profit counterparts. Our results suggest that it may be important to incentivize each dimension of data quality separately to address differential institutional pressures that affect reporting practices.

Public information disclosure practices and civic participation: The roles of social justice perceptions and internet use

This study examined the relationship between public information disclosure practices and civic participation and the roles of social justice perceptions and internet use in that relationship. Our data comes from the 2019 Chinese Social Survey (CSS, 2019), a large nationwide household survey across 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities). To ensure data relevance to our main variables, we conducted screening, resulting in the retention of data from 9 621 participants (female = 56 73%; mean age = 46 62 years, SD = 14 22 years). The results indicated that public information disclosure practices were associated with higher levels of civic participation. Specifically, public information disclosure practices were positively associated with institutional civic participation and negatively associated with non-institutional civic participation. Moreover, citizens' perception of social justice indirectly mediated civic participation. Internet use moderated the relationship between public information disclosure practices and the perception of social justice. These findings underscore the importance of types of public information disclosures in routine civil society governance. By implication, public information disclosures are tools for empowered civic participation with social justice

인공지능 활용에 따른 차별에 대한 법적 고찰

As AI has a significant impact on daily life, the economy, and industry, various problems are raised. Among them, special attention should be paid to the problem of unreasonable discrimination. If big data continues to expand and AI technology develops further in the future, and AI is used in all areas of life, the problem of discrimination will become a very serious social problem. As there is a high possibility that the problem of unreasonable discrimination due to the use of AI will surface, legal countermeasures must be carefully considered. So this paper examines legal measures to prevent and respond to the problem of unfair discrimination caused by the use of AI. We briefly summarize the meaning and types of discrimination, examine the causes of discrimination due to the use of AI, the risks of such discrimination, and the necessity and difficulty of legal regulation regarding this, and then based on this discussion, present legal measures to prevent and regulate discrimination.
 There is a high risk that AI will not only reflect the biases inherent in our society, but also strengthen and perpetuate them. On the other hand, due to the opacity and complexity unique to AI, it is difficult to recognize and correct discrimination and resolve disputes. Accordingly, we must recognize the seriousness of the risk that AI will further solidify prejudice and discrimination in our society, and prepare normative response measures that meet the characteristics of such risk.
 First of all, standards for equality and fairness that should be reflected in legal regulations must be established. Reasonable conclusions must be made about the meaning and content of discrimination, the values of non-discrimination and fairness that must be observed, standards for evaluating the legitimacy of discriminatory treatment, and proper indicators. Next, it is important to conduct impact assessment and inspect the risks of AI systems in advance and ensure transparency to prevent unreasonable discrimination. In addition, the entity responsible for unreasonable discrimination that occurs in various contexts must be clearly identified, and procedural rules regarding dispute resolution must be clarified. Basically, it is necessary to hold the user who adopts the AI system accountable and appoint a person responsible for preventing bias. Above this, the fact that AI is being used must be notified to the person being evaluated, and the input and output data of the algorithm must be disclosed afterwards. Also, expansion of public data disclosure and relaxation and transition of the burden of proof for unreasonable discrimination should also be considered.

지방법원 경매절차상 종물과 부종성에 관한 연구

An accessory means it in case the owner of the object attaches another object belonging to him in order to continue using the object. As a rule, subordinate goods follow the disposal of the main goods. Therefore, the second thing means that another thing owned by the owner of the thing is attached to it, and if a thing belonging to another person is attached to the main thing, it cannot be a second thing in principle. If there is a disposition for a principle property and a public disclosure method is provided, there is no change in property right to the specific product even if a separate disclosure method is not provided for the specific product. Since the dependence on a principle property is weak, a separate public disclosure method must be provided for the principle property to cause a change in property rights. There is a limit to regulating new legal acts, which are special transactions, with the existing system in the reality that new legal acts are generated and activated due to human culture and economic development following the development of science and industrial technology. When a legal system suitable for new legal acts and economic development is established, transaction safety will be guaranteed and new legal acts and economic development will take place. In case of property rights, the disclosure method must be prepared to cause the change of the property rights, and according to the theory of property rights, it is not the case, but rights with property rights can be registered. It is necessary to have a procedure for preparing the public disclosure method for the specific product and the public disclosure method for the subsidiary right.

‘J’accuse!’: whistleblowing, critical citizenship and the EU directive on whistleblowers’ protection

ABSTRACT Despite the enactment of legislation on public interest disclosures, whistleblowers still face significant retaliation. Perceptions and expectations of loyalty to a firm, organisation or a government continue to be seen as antithetical to ‘voice’, that is, the disclosure of wrongdoing, thereby triggering strategies of organisational exit and punishment. Real change can occur if whistleblowing is elevated to a civic duty of equal importance to other civic duties, such as to protect and defend the rule of law, human rights and democracy and to report suspected criminality to authorities. In this article, I justify whistleblowing on a good citizenship concept which transcends particular national institutional characteristics and critically examine the content and contribution of the European Union’s Directive on Whistleblower protection. By deploying a tripartite lens blending analytical questions and a discoursive theoretical perspective with a comparative assessment of instruments in the Member States and the EU, the discussion makes the case for the urgent change in the culture of punitive treatment of whistleblowers in the European Union and for further institutional reform when the Directive is reviewed in the future.

PCAOB International Inspections and the Market Value of Cash Holdings

ABSTRACT This study examines whether and how Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) international inspections mitigate the market value discount in cash holdings. We find that shareholders value internal cash holdings more highly for the non-U.S.-listed clients of inspected auditors after the public disclosure of the auditors’ inspection reports. We show that the decreased agency frictions and the increased financial reporting credibility are potential mechanisms. Further, we find that the effect of PCAOB international inspections on the market value of cash holdings is stronger in countries with weaker legal institutions and less sound information environment. Since investors’ valuation of cash mirrors how they expect the cash to be used, our results suggest a unique role of PCAOB oversight in mitigating unresolved agency problems and safeguarding corporate resources, thereby lessening investors’ markdowns of cash assets. Our findings help identify the real economic impacts of PCAOB oversight in enhancing global stock market confidence. Data Availability: Data are available from the public sources cited in the text. JEL Classifications: G34; M42; M48.

Tantangan Hukum dalam Penyelesaian Sengketa E-commerce: Pendekatan Arbitrase dan Litigasi

The purpose of this research is to analyze Legal Challenges in E-commerce Dispute Resolution: Arbitration and Litigation Approaches. This type of research is a literature review. Data collection with documentation. Data analysis with SLR. Research results Legal challenges in resolving e-commerce disputes involve regulatory complexity which is growing rapidly amidst the dynamics of online transactions. Arbitration and litigation approaches are the two main options that parties involved in e-commerce disputes must consider. Arbitration offers speed and confidentiality, while litigation provides a more structured process and public disclosure of information. However, the biggest challenge remains adapting the existing legal system to the dynamics of changing technology and the ever-growing e-commerce business.

The Impact of M&A Delistings on the Information Environment of Industry Peer Firms

ABSTRACT This study documents that M&A delistings are associated with a deterioration in the quality of analysts’ information environment for industry peer firms, measured by an increase in analysts’ absolute forecast errors and dispersion. This effect persists for six quarters and is larger when the delisting target firm contributes relatively more to the industry information environment. Further, we find that, among analysts forecasting earnings for an industry peer firm, those who also followed the delisted target firm in the pre-M&A period experience a larger increase in their absolute forecast errors. A comparison based on public versus private target firms also suggests that the loss of target firms’ public disclosures plays a role in the deterioration in the quality of analysts’ information environment. In additional analyses, we find evidence consistent with this effect resulting from a deterioration in analysts’ ability to exploit across-firm information complementarities. JEL Classifications: G14; G18; G34; M40.

There’s a Strong Wind a’Blowing re Security Disclosures: Lessons Learned from SolarWinds — An analysis of the significance of the SolarWinds case for companies with making security statements on websites and in public filings

Abstract For years now, we have been advising clients to be cautious about including overly broad, or overly detailed, statements in their online privacy policies, noting that the FTC has in the past interpreted such statements as being representations to the market - such that false or misleading statements made therein could constitute misrepresentations. The Securities Exchange Commission complaint last year filed against SolarWinds Corp. and Timothy G. Brown (between July 2017 and December 2020, the Vice President of Security and Architecture and head of the Information Security group, and as of January 2021, the Chief Information Security Officer, for SolarWinds Corp.) has now made it clear that the same risk applies to public statements regarding the state of security of an organization. The SEC complaint raises additional related issues, however: namely, to what extent are organizations required to detail instances of non-compliance with their security policies in their public security disclosures; and to what extent should software companies be held to a higher standard of cybersecurity disclosure. This article proves the background to the SEC complaint (I.); provides a overview of the SEC complaint’s critique of the online security statement published by SolarWinds, and the security disclosures in the securities filings of SolarWinds (II.); outlines the challenges posed by the SEC approach in the SEC complaint and the resulting blowback, in particular from chief information security officers (III.); highlights three key lessons learned from the SEC complaint (IV.); and concludes (V.) with a warning as to what this means for organizations publishing online security statements.

Analysis of Green Accounting and Good Corporate Governance with Internal Audit Quality as a Moderating Variable on the Sustainability of Agribusiness Companies Listed on the Indonesian Stock Exchange in 2020-2022

This study aims to determine and obtain empirical evidence about the effect of the Green Accounting mechanism, Good Corporate Governance with Internal Audit Quality on the disclosure of Sustainability of agribusiness companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2020-2022. The Internal Audit Quality mechanism is assessed through education and training, experience in public accounting firms, and the application of the whistle blowing system. The Good Corporate Governance mechanism is assessed through managerial ownership, institutional ownership, and independent commissioners. Green Accounting measurement is based on the Public Disclosure Program for Environmental Compliance (PROPER) which is seen from the company's annual report and sustainability report. The samples that became the object of this research were all agribusiness companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange in 2020-2022 by meeting the predetermined criteria. The total research sample for three years of observation was 132 samples, using purposive sampling method. Data analysis was carried out using multiple linear regression methods. The results of this study indicate that Green Accounting have an effect on Sustainability Diclosure and Good Corporate Governance with Internal Audit Quality doesn’t have an effect on Sustainability disclosure.

Conflict Resolution, Prevention and Handling Public Information Disputes

Conflicts over public information disputes have increased in the past three years. This study aims to analyze the process of information flow that occurs in information dispute conflicts and to analyze solutions to prevent and handle information dispute conflict problems. This study intends to analyze conflict resolution resolution of public information disputes in Indonesia using communication theory and conflict resolution theory in depth. The methodology in this research is qualitative method using library research method. Based on the results of the research analysis, it was concluded that the process of information flow that occurs in conflicts over public information disputes is hampered due to dissatisfaction from public information applicants with requests for information submitted from public bodies, because there are differences in perception. The solution to conflict prevention is increased awareness of the parties involved regarding rights and obligations related to public information, training and education on public information disclosure, formulation of clear policies on related Standard Operating Procedures and increased internal mediation between public bodies and information applicants. In addition, solutions for handling information dispute conflicts, in addition to mediation and adjudication in accordance with regulations, can be improved through increasing understanding of regulations regarding Public Information Disclosure and increasing the institutional capacity of the Information Commission.

Evaluation Of Smart Village Open Data To Realise Digital Village In Malang Regency

Government policies that focus on Open Government Data (OGD) often aim to encourage the provision of interoperable public data to any user, including the lay citizen, through online portals. However, these OGD portals are mostly not updated and the portals do not yet contain data needed by the public such as performance reports, financial reports, activity reports, and other data. This condition occurs in many village governments in Malang District. Researchers focused on evaluating open data in village governments by measuring the principles of open data. Researchers collected data using interviews and observations. Researchers found that the public information disclosure score in Putukrejo village government was 55%. Putukrejo village government's public information disclosure has not been maximised because many elements have not been fulfilled such as data files that have not been uploaded including village regulations, financial reports, and other village documents; timeliness in news updates is also still not optimal; and interactive services and complaints.