Voluntary Disclosure Research Articles

Pathos or logos? How governance legitimacy perception influences individual privacy trade-offs during COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought attention to the delicate balance between individual privacy concerns and the governance of public health emergencies. Governments are leveraging a wide range of digital methodologies to acquire individual-level data for purposes such as contact tracing, isolation protocols, and surveillance, all aimed at effectively mitigating the deleterious consequences of the epidemic. However, the surrender of individual health information depends on individuals’ perception of the legitimacy of governance. In this research, our objective is to examine how individuals’ perceptions of the legitimacy of governance impact their decisions regarding privacy disclosure. This study stands out by dissecting cognitive and moral legitimacy of governance, uniquely examining their influence on individuals’ altruistic privacy disclosure during a crisis. Unlike previous research, our approach offers a more nuanced understanding of the interplay between governance legitimacy and privacy concessions. From July 15th to August 14th, 2022, amid the 2022 lockdown in Shanghai, China, this study utilizes surveys with established measurement scales, alongside structural equation modeling (SEM), to explore the relationship between individuals’ perceptions of government legitimacy in managing the pandemic and their willingness to compromise health information. The study distinguishes between moral legitimacy (pathos) and cognitive legitimacy (logos). The results find that both cognitive and moral legitimacy positively influence altruism, thus enhancing the efficacy of voluntary disclosure of personal health information to government agencies for pandemic governance. However, it is noteworthy that education level moderates the impact of these two dimensions of legitimacy on altruism. This research provides empirical evidence to enhance our understanding of how different dimensions of citizens’ perceptions of governance legitimacy in crisis situations shape their attitudes and behaviors towards privacy trade-offs.

Moderating Effect of Voluntary Disclosure Quality on The Relationship Between Earnings Management and Cost of Capital

Moderating Effect of Voluntary Disclosure Quality on The Relationship Between Earnings Management and Cost of Capital

A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Mandatory and Voluntary Corporate Disclosure

Disclosure is important for corporate financing and business activities, as explained by Signalling Theory and Principal-Agent Theory. Corporate disclosure can be divided into voluntary and mandatory. Driven by the pursuit of maximising economic benefits, companies are motivated to opt to disclose voluntarily, notwithstanding the self-interest of managers and the dilemma of free-riding reduces the incentives and role of such disclosures. This inherent limitation of voluntary disclosure mechanisms has catalysed the widespread adoption of mandatory disclosure requirements. However, a simplistic discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of voluntary versus mandatory falls short of providing a conclusion. To address this gap, this study incorporates a cost-benefit analysis framework from law and economics. The effectiveness of mandatory disclosure, conceptualized as a form of governmental intervention in economic activities, hinges on the balance between its implementation costs and the derived benefits. The value of mandatory disclosure is related to regulatory effectiveness, which in turn influences the costs borne by companies in meeting disclosure requirements and the challenges faced by investors in utilising disclosed information.

The Influence of Company Size, Profitability, Liquidity and Solvency on the Extent of Voluntary Disclosure in Agriculture and Mining Sector Companies Listed on Indonesian Stock Exchange for 2020-2022 Period

The aim of this research is to determine how much voluntary freedom is influenced by company size, profitability, liquidity and solvency. The population of this research is agricultural and mining sector companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI) for the 2020–2022 period. Purposive sampling is the sampling method applied. 13 companies were the samples used in this research. The multiple linear regression analysis method was used in this research to analyze the data. Research findings show that the degree of freedom is influenced by solvency. Voluntary rates are not influenced by company size, profitability, or liquidity. The level of voluntary release is influenced by company size, profitability, liquidity and solvency simultaneously with an Adjusted R Square value of 0.162 or 16.2%, while the remaining 0.838 or 83.8% is influenced by other variables.

Determinants of Global Banks’ Climate Information Disclosure with the Moderating Effect of Shareholder Litigation Risk

This paper explores the influence of a country’s institutional factors and internal corporate governance on banks’ voluntary climate finance disclosures. The analysis focuses on the world’s top 100 banks, examining the institutional and governance factors that shape TCFD disclosure practices. From an institutional perspective, the research reveals a heightened level of climate financial disclosure in banks located in countries where investor protection is strong under the common law system and environmental performance is commendable. On the internal governance front, it is observed that the independence and diversity of the board of directors play a facilitating role in promoting such disclosure. Additionally, in countries where shareholder litigation is easily pursued, a moderating effect is observed wherein board independence paradoxically inhibits TCFD disclosure. This study stands as the first to explore the determinants of climate financial disclosure in global banks, confirming the driving forces behind such disclosures through institutional and stakeholder theories and providing crucial empirical evidence to enhance research on voluntary disclosure.

The determinants of voluntary relational liabilities: empirical evidence

PurposeThe aim of this study is to analyse the factors that contribute to the disclosure of relational liabilities (RLs) of the US companies.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses content analysis to examine the disclosure of RLs in annual reports of the US companies listed on the Nasdaq-100 index from 2013 to 2015.FindingsThe study finds a positive correlation between the disclosure of RLs and gender diversity of the board of directors as well as the education level of the CEO. By contrast, the disclosure of RLs is negatively associated with the age of the CEO. Companies in knowledge-intensive industries also tend to disclose more information about their RLs than those in other industries.Originality/valueThis study focuses on the determinants of RLs, whereas previous research has mainly examined the positive impact of voluntary disclosure of intellectual capital on financial performance. The main objective of this study is to shed light on the factors that influence the disclosure of RLs.

CSR Motivations in Voluntary Non-Financial Disclosures: The Preparers’ Voice

CSR reports are communication tools, appropriate for informing stakeholders of the CSR practices conducted by organizations. This article aims to explore the reasons why complex organizations have adopted on purpose the CSR report to meet their needs and to discover why they have chosen to adopt the integrated report as an alternative to the sustainability report. This study is based on an explanatory case study of two healthcare organizations that have exactly implemented Integrated Reporting (IR), instead of Sustainability Reporting. The research method used is the field study. This work points out how organizations create and use CSR reports, even if they are not mandatory. If the IR looks like a “managerial innovation”, there is always a risk that the diffusion of these tools could simply be the latest popular trend, followed by internal or external proponents, rather than a rational decision-making process. The study has implications for the policymakers, the organizations, and their integrated report. The policymakers can understand if this tool can be useful for the organizations, to promote internal CSR. The study contributes to literature about the willingness to publish CSR reports, as an expression of the internal and external factors that influence voluntary reporting choices.

How Does Management Voluntary Disclosure Behavior Influence Auditors’ Judgments?

ABSTRACTForward‐looking information, often used by auditors to evaluate complex estimates and form conclusions about going‐concern audit report modifications, is commonly disclosed voluntarily by U.S. public companies. We experimentally examine how this disclosure behavior affects auditors’ skepticism toward such information. Prior research has shown that investors and analysts frequently interpret voluntarily disclosed forward‐looking information as credible. We demonstrate that auditors, in contrast, exhibit greater skepticism toward forecasted information that has been voluntarily disclosed (vs. mandatorily disclosed or held privately) because of their reduced trust in management, even when the forecasts align with prior year trends (vs. being more optimistic). Our results suggest that a manager's decision to disclose, rather than the disclosure content itself, leads to increased auditor skepticism. Our findings have implications not only for audit outcomes, but also for manager disclosure behavior, as increased auditor scrutiny could discourage future voluntary disclosure.

The Voluntary Disclosure Dilemma: Unraveling the Compliance-Evasion Causality in Tax Administration

This research investigates the causality between taxpayer compliance and tax evasion behaviors, specifically within the context of participants in the Voluntary Disclosure Program (PPS) registered at the Small Tax Office of West Pontianak. The study delineates its population as taxpayers who, prior to their engagement in the PPS, had outstanding tax liabilities on income derived from business or employment activities. Utilizing the documentation method, secondary data were solicited from pertinent governmental bodies to facilitate the research. A linear regression model was employed to analyze the relationship between the variables under consideration. The findings underscore the impact of pre-PPS tax evasion activities on subsequent enhancements in taxpayer compliance, as evidenced by ransom payments. The study contributes to governmental authorities by offering valuable information regarding the patterns of tax evasion behavior among PPS participants, thereby informing policy and enforcement strategies.

IRS Enforcement and Voluntary Tax Disclosure

ABSTRACT Although voluntary tax disclosures can improve firms’ information environments and reduce financial statement users’ costs of processing complex tax information, they can also inform tax authorities about tax avoidance strategies. This study explores the content of voluntary tax disclosures during quarterly earnings announcements and conference calls to examine the effect of IRS enforcement on managers’ voluntary tax disclosure decisions. We estimate a negative relation between IRS enforcement and voluntary tax disclosures that is concentrated in the subset of firms with high levels of tax avoidance. These results are consistent with managers having concerns about the potential costs of voluntary disclosures to tax authorities. In supplemental analysis, we find results consistent with voluntary tax disclosures benefiting analysts, but at the cost of increasing IRS attention. Collectively, our results suggest an unintended negative effect of IRS enforcement on the information environment. Data Availability: Data are available from the sources cited in the text. JEL Classifications: H25; M41; M48.

Drivers and consequences of borrowers' voluntary privacy information disclosure—Evidence from a Chinese online consumer financing platform

AbstractThis study explores the drivers and consequences of consumers' voluntary information disclosure in the context of online consumer financing. Using unique secondary data from a Chinese online consumer financing company, we uncover a non‐linear relationship between borrowers' credit ratings and the quantity of voluntary information disclosure, and an inverted U‐shaped relationship between the amount of information disclosure and loan default. Specifically, low‐credit borrowers who opt for more voluntary information disclosure manifest a higher likelihood of default than those who disclose less, suggesting a strategic inclination toward information disclosure. Finally, we identify that disclosing high‐cost information reduces loan default, whereas disclosing low‐cost information increases default. Our findings enrich the existing literature on consumer information disclosure by providing insights into the underlying motivation and highlighting the applicability of signaling theory and privacy calculus theory. This has practical implications for lenders, borrowers, and regulators in overcoming barriers in online lending.

Does the Capital Market Value Carbon Emission Reductions? Evidence from China

ABSTRACT: An increasing number of Chinese companies are strengthening their commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) by reporting their carbon emission reductions. Research suggests that such voluntary environmental disclosures can reduce information asymmetry, decrease the cost of capital, and thus enhance firm value. However, a significant research gap exists because this evidence mainly derives from developed countries, with limited consideration given to emerging countries, where the capital market often lacks robust informational content. To fill this research gap, we endeavor to explore the firm-value effects of the disclosures and the magnitude of carbon reduction in China, the largest emerging market. By manually collecting data on carbon emission reductions from the CSR reports of Chinese listed companies from 2008 to 2013, we employ the balance sheet valuation model and ordinary least squares regression to investigate the firm-value effects of the disclosures and the magnitude of carbon emission reductions. The empirical results show that firm value is positively associated with not only voluntary carbon emission reduction disclosures, but also the magnitude of carbon emission reductions. In our sample, for every additional ton of carbon emission reduction, firm value increases by approximately 340 yuan (equivalent to 44 euros or 52 US dollars). We also find that the firm-value effects of carbon emission reductions are more pronounced in high-pollution industries than those in low-pollution industries. Further channel tests reveal that on average, agency problems, as measured by selling, general, and administrative expenses, are lower in firms that disclose carbon emission reduction information than those that do not. In addition, firms with carbon emission reduction disclosures can obtain more green subsidies than those without such disclosures. To mitigate climate risk, firms should proactively engage in carbon emission reductions, which can potentially receive a positive recognition from the capital market. Our study also provides valuable insights for regulators in terms of establishing and enhancing carbon accounting standards to encourage corporate involvement in carbon reductions.

Firm Characteristics and Corporate Governance Mechanisms as Drivers of Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosure in Zimbabwe

This study extends the literature on the determinants of voluntary disclosure of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in a sample of 61 annual reports from the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange for the year ended 31 December 2020. The purpose of the study is to determine why firms voluntarily disclose CSR and whether corporate governance mechanisms have an impact on firms’ disclosure policy. An unweighted disclosure index consisting of 30 corporate social responsibility attributes was developed; using content analysis to determine the level of corporate social responsibility disclosure. The results show that corporate social responsibility disclosure is low, with the most corporate social responsibility information disclosed being community involvement disclosure (40%), followed by environmental disclosure (30%), products and consumer information disclosure (29%), and human resources disclosure (28%). In addition, using multiple regression analysis and after accounting for size, leverage, profitability and industry, the findings indicate that board independence and board of directors’ qualifications have a significant positive influence on corporate social responsibility disclosure whereas ownership concentration was found to be insignificant. With the exception of profitability, all other firm characteristics, leverage, firm size and industry sector were positive and significant in explaining the variation in corporate social responsibility disclosure. It appears that profitable firms are not motivated to increase corporate social responsibility disclosure. This may be consistent with the shareholder wealth maximization approach which renders corporate social responsibility disclosures as less important. Financial markets in Zimbabwe may not be sufficiently efficient in penalizing firms for incomplete corporate social responsibility disclosure and that regulators may need to mandate such disclosures if information asymmetry is to be reduced and market efficiency enhanced.

DETERMINANTS OF TAX SUBJECTS’ INTENTION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE PROGRAM

The Voluntary Disclosure Program (PPS) is an opportunity for taxpayers to report/disclose tax obligations that have not been fulfilled voluntarily through payment of PPh based on asset disclosure. This program is expected to increase voluntary taxpayer compliance and is carried out based on the principles of simplicity, legal certainty and expediency. There are many factors that influence an individual taxpayer's intention to participate in PPS. Therefore, this research aims to examine the influence of tax sanctions, subjective norms and tax administration on individual taxpayers' intentions to participate in PPS. The population in this study is individual taxpayers who live in Tangerang City and the sample was chosen randomly among individual taxpayers who were willing to fill out the questionnaire. After calculations, there were 105 individual taxpayers participating in this research. The data was then analyzed using multiple linear regression using the SPSS version 25 software program. The results of data analysis showed that the first and third hypotheses were accepted, while the second hypothesis was rejected. Thus, tax sanctions and tax administration have a significant effect on individual taxpayers' intentions to participate in PPS, whereas this is not the case with subjective norms.

The Effect of Tax Penalty, Probability of Audit and Fair Treatment on Permanent Voluntary Disclosure: Tax Professionals’ Perspective

This paper examines the effects of tax penalty, the probability of audit and fair treatment to participate in permanent voluntary disclosure (VD), from the perspective of tax professionals. A total of 2,540 questionnaires were distributed to tax professionals in Malaysia using a combination of online and drop-off modes. The potential respondents were selected using a simple random sampling technique. The collected dataset comprised 192 useable questionnaires. To unravel the underlying factors influencing permanent VD, the research employed Smart PLS Version 4.0.9.6 for data analysis. The results revealed that tax penalty and the likelihood of probability of audit are significant in influencing corporate taxpayers’ motivation to partake in permanent VD. Surprisingly, the element of fair treatment towards taxpayers is not significant. In addition, the findings reveal that tax penalty, the probability of audit, and fairness treatment, explain 0.195 of variance (R2) in corporate taxpayers’ motivation towards partaking in permanent VD. The current findings may facilitate policymakers and the tax revenue authority in devising strategies to enhance the attractiveness of permanent VD. An enhanced permanent VD will benefit the tax revenue authority as it saves time and cost of collecting information on tax audits and investigation cases. Our findings contribute to the paucity of published work pertaining to the use of threat and fairness in galvanising participation in permanent VD.

Sustainability disclosure in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries: Results from bibliometric analysis and AI-based comparison of financial reports

Climate change is a pressing global challenge, and companies are under increasing pressure to adopt sustainable practices and transparently disclose their environmental performance. This study focuses on the Italian pharmaceutical industry to gain insights into the level of stakeholder and management attention to climate change and the growth of academic research in this critical area. We employ a bibliometric analysis of scientific literature and a content analysis of financial statements to examine sustainability practices and reporting in both pharmaceutical and chemical companies.Our findings reveal a significant difference in stakeholder expectations and commitment to addressing climate change between the two industries. The chemical industry has demonstrated a stronger focus on sustainability, as evidenced by higher academic research and environmental disclosure levels. In contrast, the pharmaceutical sector has shown a comparatively lower level of environmental reporting and sustainability practices. However, our analysis shows a positive trend in pharmaceutical companies’ voluntary disclosure of environmental information in their financial reports.These results highlight the need for increased focus and effort in the pharmaceutical industry to address climate change and improve sustainability practices. Pharmaceutical companies can build stakeholder trust, improve environmental sustainability, increase transparency in reporting, align practices with global sustainability goals, enhance their reputation, and reduce their environmental impact. This research provides valuable guidance for policymakers, researchers and practitioners in promoting sustainable practices in the pharmaceutical industry and contributes to the broader understanding of ESG disclosure and climate change.

Board gender reforms and voluntary disclosure: International evidence from management earnings forecasts

AbstractResearch Question/IssueThis study examines the relationship between boardroom gender diversity reforms (BGDRs) and corporate voluntary disclosure in the form of management earnings forecasts (MEFs) in a sample of 43 countries over the period 2000 to 2020.Research Findings/InsightsTaking advantage of the staggered adoption of the gender diversity reforms that aim to improve women's representation on boards, we find that firms exhibit a greater propensity for and frequency of issuing MEFs. These findings hold for both governance‐based and legislation‐based reforms but are stronger for the latter. Furthermore, we find stronger results (a) when female directors possess higher financial expertise and serve on board sub‐committees, (b) when board activity (meetings and attendance) improved following BGDRs, (c) for firms that had all‐male boards before the reforms and where gender diversity increased shortly after the reforms, and (d) for countries with greater legal enforcement and gender equality. Our findings are robust using the stacked difference‐in‐differences approach and alternative samples, models, and fixed effects. In addition, we find that, after the reforms, there is an increase in the forecast horizon, forecast width, bad news disclosure, accuracy, and the number of disaggregated forecast items.Theoretical/Academic ImplicationsOur study provides the first international and comprehensive evidence of the positive role of board gender reforms in the corporate information environment and offers vital policy implications.Practitioner/Policy ImplicationsOur study informs the ongoing debate regarding the effectiveness of and business case for gender diversity reforms. By documenting a causal link between BGDRs and voluntary disclosure, our study provides important implications for policymakers, regulators, investors, and top management teams.

Voluntary disclosure with the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) framework and value relevance

Research aims: This paper aims to investigate whether voluntary disclosure of integrated reports (IR) with the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) framework influences value relevance in Indonesia.Design/Methodology/Approach: The data covered the period 2017-2022 of all manufacturing companies in Indonesia listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). The total sample of this study was 606 firm-year observations. An IR Score was developed using the International IR Framework 2013, and content analysis was performed to measure IR adoption and practice. This study employed multiple linear regression to test the hypothesis. The authors also used two models: the Pricing Model for testing the main result and the Ohlson Model for testing robustness. Research findings: The result claims that the IR score yielded a positive and statistically significant effect on the value relevance of the company. In other words, companies with higher IR scores will also have a higher value relevance.Theoretical contribution/ Originality: First, this study contributes to the literature in accounting, stating that companies that adopt the IR framework can increase the value relevance. Second, by using different models to test the hypothesis, the results of this paper exhibit a consistent relationship.Practitioner/Policy implication: The study's findings help regulators develop new regulations.Research limitation/Implication: This research could only be generalized to Indonesian manufacturing companies. In addition, a significant number of Indonesian manufacturing companies continue to fail to submit integrated reports.

Ownership structure and climate-related corporate reporting

ABSTRACT We investigate the impacts of various types of corporate ownership structures (i.e. institutional, government, and managerial ownership) on climate-related corporate reporting as reflected in the levels of voluntary carbon disclosure. Using a sample of S&P 500 companies from 2015 to 2020 across both environmentally sensitive and non-environmentally sensitive industries, we find that diverse ownership structures have distinct impacts and preferences in corporate carbon disclosure. Specifically, government ownership is likely to promote transparency of carbon information. In contrast, the ownership held by institutional investors (total, short-term, and long-term), managers (i.e. CEOs, directors), and block-holders are negatively associated with the proactive greenhouse gas disclosure. We also find evidence that climate governance quality plays a positive moderating role in the relationship between two ownership types (i.e. long-term institutional investors and block-holder) and a firm’s climate-related corporate reporting. Our findings offer some practical insights for managers, regulators, and policymakers to focus on the configuration of corporate ownership in the context of improving green practices.

The impact of supply chain transparency on financing offerings to firms: the moderating role of supply chain concentration

PurposeBased on signaling theory, this paper aims to explore the impact of supply chain transparency (SCT) on firms' bank loan (BL) and supply chain financing (SCF) in the context of voluntary disclosure of supplier and customer lists.Design/methodology/approachBased on panel data collected from Chinese-listed firms between 2012 and 2021, fixed-effect models and a series of robustness checks are used to test the predictions.FindingsFirst, improving SCT by disclosing major suppliers and customers promotes BL but inhibits SCF. Specifically, customer transparency (CT) is more influential in SCF than supplier transparency (ST). Second, supplier concentration (SC) weakens SCT’s positive impact on BL while reducing its negative impact on SCF. Third, customer concentration (CC) strengthens the positive impact of SCT on BL but intensifies its negative impact on SCF. Last, these findings are basically more pronounced in highly competitive industries.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the SCT literature by investigating the under-explored practice of supply chain list disclosure and revealing its dual impact on firms' access to financing offerings (i.e. BL and SCF) based on signaling theory. Additionally, it expands the understanding of the boundary conditions affecting the relationship between SCT and firm financing, focusing on supply chain concentration. Moreover, it advances signaling theory by exploring how financing providers interpret the SCT signal and enriches the understanding of BL and SCF antecedents from a supply chain perspective.