Search

While businesses fluctuate with politics, firms try to find ways to deal with uncertainty. We investigate how political incentives shape corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting activities using the setting of China. Based on a sample of non-mandatory CSR disclosure firms, we find that firms experiencing political turnover are more inclined to issue CSR reports voluntarily, supporting the political connection demand hypothesis rather than the political cost hypothesis. Such effects are more prominent when the political turnover is unexpected and successors are non-locals. Meanwhile, non-SOEs, not politically connected enterprises, and firms located in low government efficiency areas are more likely to issue CSR reports. Further analysis shows that these firms disclosed CSR information experiencing political turnover fail to ensure the reporting quality but can obtain resources in the future. Overall, we highlight that CSR disclosure is a way for firms to establish political connections with politicians. Our study sheds light on the determinants of voluntary CSR disclosure from a political perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employing a panel sample of 5,090 firm-years from 981 UK firms during the period from 2010 to 2016, we investigate the impact of the implementation of expanded auditor's reports (EARs) on corporate voluntary disclosure. We find that the likelihood and frequency of voluntary disclosure significantly decrease after the implementation of EARs. In addition, the total number of risks of material misstatement (RMMs) has no impact on voluntary disclosure after the implementation of EARs, while certain RMMs categories (i.e., entity rather than account risks, and firm-specific rather than industry-level risks) display a more pronounced impact on corporate voluntary disclosure. In further analysis, we find that the mandatory adoption of EARs increases the proportion of long-term forecasts, riches the content of voluntary disclosure, and elicits a more positive market response to the announcement of voluntary disclosure. Cross-sectional analyses show that the impact of the implementation of EARs on voluntary disclosure can be magnified by a higher level of media coverage, especially breaking news coverage. Our results remain valid after considering various robustness tests and selection bias concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a sample of the top 200 Australian firms, we find that companies rely on non-IFRS earnings to supplement IFRS earnings in the highlights section of firms' annual reports. At the same time, firms are more likely to present non-IFRS earnings in the highlights section that beat earnings benchmarks, suggesting that they might be motivated to present their performance in a better light through non-IFRS earnings. We also show that non-IFRS earnings presented in the highlights section are more likely to be taken from the audited sections of the annual report, potentially indicating their credibility as key performance measures. Our findings add to the ongoing controversial debate on the informativeness of non-IFRS earnings with a specific focus on those reported in the highlights section of the annual report. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• OHS behavior in the construction industry. • Corporate Social Responsibility reports and OHS of construction industry. • Multinational construction companies and OHS issue. • Transparency of OHS issues in construction industry. Introduction: The aim of this paper is to examine Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) behavior in the construction industry through the assessment of Corporate Social Responsibility reports. The level of accident rates in the construction industry place OHS issues at the heart of their strategic management. Method: The assessment of OHS issues was made by drawing appropriate data from the Corporate Social Responsibility reports of 19 multinational construction companies published on a voluntary basis. Results: The findings show a low response rate by the companies sampled to the requirements of stakeholders for responsible organizational behavior and accountability for their consequences. Most of the companies sampled have only focused on a small number of OHS issues to assure the transparency of the information published such as OHS governance, accident and illness rates, training hours, third party assurance, and membership of externally developed OHS charters. Similarly, other important OHS issues seem to be less covered by the companies sampled such as the representation of total workforce in OHS committees, the percentage of high risk occupations, and OHS practices in the supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines whether the level of voluntary disclosure through social media platforms provides value-relevant information. Economic theory suggests that information is value relevant whether it signals for something capable of increasing firm market value. Based on a sample of 200 European Union listed firms over the 2020–2022 period, we find that more voluntary disclosure through social media platforms increases firm market value, thus suggesting that it contains value-relevant information. Empirical evidence holds to several robustness checks, such as endogeneity tests, alternative regression specifications, and cross-sectional analyses. We further examine whether the level of voluntary disclosure through social media platforms influences the relation between current returns and future earnings. We find that more voluntary disclosure improves the association between current returns and future earnings to the extent that current returns are more informative about future earnings. This study adds to the growing academic debate on the role of social media usage for firm value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Both formal and informal environmental regulation significantly suppress the environmental violations of enterprises. • There is a complementary relationship between formal and informal environmental regulation on corporate environmental violations. • In firms with high total factor productivity, low market competition, and low executive green cognition, the inhibitory effect is stronger. • Our study provides insights in support of the beneficial governance effect of environmental regulation. This study identifies the impact of dual environmental regulations on corporate environmental violations using Chinese A-share listed companies from 2009 to 2020. The results reveal that both formal and informal environmental regulation significantly inhibit the environmental violations of enterprises, and there is a complementary effect between formal and informal environmental regulation on violations. Moreover, the mechanism test shows that the above effects are based on the channel of ESG disclosure willingness and ESG performance. The effects are stronger in firms with high total factor productivity, low market competition, and low executive green cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgender youth face significant health disparities and multiple barriers to receiving quality health care. Gender identity disclosure to health care providers (HCPs) is an important step in creating affirming relationships for transgender youth. The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the prevalence of voluntary disclosure and intentional avoidance to HCPs outside of gender clinics, (2) identify factors associated with voluntary disclosure and intentional avoidance, and (3) elucidate strategies to increase comfort with disclosure. A cross-sectional survey was administered to transgender youth aged 12–26 years. Bivariate analyses were conducted using χ2 or Fisher's exact tests. Two logistic regression models for each outcome variable were used to examine factors associated with voluntary disclosure and intentional avoidance. Two thirds (65%) of youth (N = 153) identified as transmasculine, and 57% were under 18 years. Three-quarters (78%) had voluntarily disclosed their gender identity to an HCP outside of gender clinic, whereas 46% had intentionally avoided disclosure. Odds ratios (ORs) of ever having disclosed were lower for participants ≥18 years (OR =.33; 95% confidence interval [CI]:.11–.98), those out to fewer people (OR =.12; 95% CI:.02–.81) and out for <1 year (OR =.03; 95% CI:.004–.31). Odds of intentional avoidance were lower among youth with higher perceived parental support (OR =.83; 95% CI:.70–.98). A majority of transgender youth reported having voluntarily disclosed their gender identity to an HCP outside of gender clinic, but almost half reported having intentionally avoided disclosure when they felt it was important. Parental support may play a protective role in mitigating avoidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper investigates the relationship between media sentiment of official business news articles and management earnings forecasts within China's unique information environment and capital market. • Media sentiment affects the propensity of firms to issue management earnings forecasts. • Media sentiment affects the precision and accuracy of management earnings forecasts. In this study, we investigate the relationship between news media sentiment and management earnings forecasts. Using A-share listed companies in China from 2007 to 2022, we find a negative relationship between media sentiment and the propensity of firms to issue management earnings forecasts. We also find that media sentiment is associated with the precision and accuracy of these forecasts. Overall, our study offers new insights into the underlying motivations and the quality of management earnings forecasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study draws on legitimacy theory to investigate the relationship between mandatory disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions by companies that are subject to specific environmental legislation (the Australian National Greenhouse Energy Reporting Act 2007) and the level of voluntary environmental disclosures. Using a sample of 535 observations, we find that i) Overall, legislation-affected companies increase their disclosures compared with non-affected companies, ii) As many companies reduce their disclosures as increase them, iii) there is an increase in the level of emissions volume disclosures in legislation-affected companies compared with the same company pre-implementation, iv) legislation-affected higher emitters have higher levels of voluntary disclosures. These findings are consistent with legitimacy theory, which predicts differential disclosures in circumstances to avoid scrutiny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract The objective of this paper is to analyze how firms can enhance stock market liquidity around new equity offerings by increasing the level of disclosure on their intangible assets. Using a disclosure index consisting of 53 items, we show that French issuers disclose insufficient information about their intangible assets. We use measures of liquidity such as bid-ask spread, market depth, and trading volume to provide evidence that increased intangible asset information disclosure by new equity issuers improves secondary market liquidity immediately following the issue. These results provide new evidence that when raising funds, issuers can enhance stock liquidity by giving investors more information about intangible assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We examine how concurrent enforcement changes affect the positive relationship between mandatory IFRS adoption and firms' voluntary disclosure. We show that the increase in the issuance of management forecasts after IFRS adoption is smaller for firms from IFRS-mandating countries with concurrent enforcement changes than for those from countries without such changes. We find no difference in the increase of forecast informativeness between firms from IFRS-mandating countries without concurrent enforcement changes and firms from non-IFRS-mandating countries; however, firms domiciled in IFRS-mandating countries with concurrent enforcement changes exhibit a significantly smaller increase in forecast informativeness. Our findings suggest that better IFRS enforcement distinctly weakens (strengthens) the positive effect of IFRS adoption on voluntary (mandatory) disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper analyses a firm's incentives to disclose private information about market demand and its cost when there is a potential market entrant. A partially pooling disclosure equilibrium exists in which high demand-high cost and low demand-high cost types of firms are nontransparent in the case of risky debt issuance. I use a sample of U.S. service firms to test the theoretical predictions. Consistent with the model's implications, among low-debt service firms those that are high demand-high cost are likely to avoid information disclosure, whereas among high-debt firms those that are high demand-high cost and low demand-high cost are less likely to disclose private information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use a BERT-based model to identify firms' boilerplate answers on online interactive platforms in China. We find that firms are inclined to provide boilerplate answers to investors' questions on firm performance, but less likely to questions about product market competition. Further findings indicate that the proportion of boilerplate answers is higher when firms' performance is weaker, while lower when they face greater competition pressure or possess more market power. We also find that firms' boilerplate answers negatively affect investor trading, market liquidity, and market efficiency. Furthermore, these negative effects are stronger in firms with a poorer information environment. • We investigate firms' boilerplate answers on online interactive platforms in China. • We use a BERT-based classification model to identify firms' boilerplate answers. • Question topics can affect firm's propensity to provide boilerplate answers. • Boilerplate answers rely on firm performance and product market competition. • Stock market negatively responds to firms' boilerplate answers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theory considers voluntary disclosure to be an important mechanism for reducing information asymmetry in the corporate setting (Bertomeu, Beyer, & Dye, 2011). Prior research on corporate cash policy suggests that investors value cash holdings more when information asymmetry is low (e.g., Drobetz, Gruninger, & Hirschvogl, 2010). Given both streams of literature, we examine whether investors value cash and cash flows higher for firms that commit to providing management earnings forecasts, an important form of voluntary disclosure. In univariate analyses, we show that committed forecasting is negatively associated with widely accepted measures of information asymmetry. In multivariate tests, we document that committed forecasting is associated with a higher market value of cash, surplus cash and operating cash flows. Our multivariate results are robust to adjustments for endogeneity in managers' forecast decision, and to the inclusion of controls for alternative uses of cash, firm information quality, information demand and governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study delves into the intriguing benefit-cost puzzle of insider trading, revealing that net insider purchases increase with information asymmetry and are closely related to quarterly earnings surprises. • Interestingly, the primary motivation behind these insider purchases is not to achieve abnormal returns. • Rather, insiders seek to signal firm quality during adverse conditions and counteract short sellers when short interest is high. • This insight contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamics and motivations behind insider trading activity. This paper contributes to explaining the benefit-cost puzzle of insider trading activity. We show that net insider purchase is a convex function of the quarterly earnings surprise decile in terms of mean, median, and purchase frequency. The convexity suggests that the magnitude of net insider purchases is positively associated with information asymmetry. Further evidence indicates that the majority of insider purchases are not designed to earn abnormal returns; instead, they signal firm quality when firms are in adverse situations and fight against short sellers when short interest is high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both financial and corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting are bound by global constraints. A common trait among the reporting systems is a growing movement toward comparability and accountability. Global pressures initially motivated the push toward stand-alone CSR reporting and now toward integrated reporting. Integrated reports (IR) include financial, economic, governance, and social information in one report. In the United States, integrated reporting is voluntary and only a small number of companies have issued IRs to date. This report provides a history of CSR reporting and then examines whether the non-financial economic, governance and social indicators identified in prior literature as being of interest to retail investors (Cohen et al. 2011) are disclosed in the pioneering U.S. IRs. Descriptive results indicate the initial IRs cover predominately indicators of economic and social performance with little focus on governance. Further analysis indicates that the IRs examined do not, as a rule, provide the information most highly desired by investors (i.e. market share, executive compensation, and product safety). This study provides a baseline for companies preparing IRs and for regulators (i.e. SEC, FASB) in the context of determining future disclosure regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theoretical, experimental and empirical research by economists and psychologists suggests biases in how people draw inferences. Eyster and Rabin (2005) review extensive experimental evidence that suggests people do not fully take into account how other people’s actions depend on their private information. Using data from two colleges with optional SAT I policies, this paper quantifies the extent to which players underestimate this relationship. This policy provides applicants with a choice of whether to disclose their SATI scores to the college. Our empirical estimates indicate that colleges do underestimate the relationship between an applicant’s action (not submitting) and type (SATI score). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how often and to what extent quarterly earnings guidance is of poor quality, the causes of poor quality guidance, and the ultimate effect of such guidance on investors' earnings expectations. I operationalize poor quality guidance as that guidance which is directionally incorrect relative to the pre-guidance analyst consensus. Results show that 12% of the sample meets this definition. In terms of what causes directionally incorrect guidance, expectation management and forecast difficulty play an equally important role in determining directionally incorrect guidance. Both analysts and market participants are adversely impacted by directionally incorrect guidance, but substantially less so when the likelihood of directionally incorrect guidance increases. Finally, market participants appear to be more capable of using publicly observable cues to access the likelihood of directionally incorrect guidance increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyse the relationship between the complexity of corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure and actual CSR performance, and postulate a positive association between actual CSR performance and readability and the size of CSR disclosure documents. Using several readability and disclosure size measures from computational linguistics, we test our hypotheses using a cross-sectional sample of stand-alone CSR reports issued by large U.S. companies. We find that increased CSR disclosure and more readable CSR reports are associated with better CSR performance. Our findings suggest that extending CSR disclosure increases transparency regarding firms’ social and environmental performance, while using less-readable language in CSR reports increases obfuscation. This study contributes to the disclosure literature by documenting that the complexity indices that have been used as measures of obfuscation in prior finance and accounting research can help shareholders, financial analysts, and investors determine the credibility of CSR disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the voluntary disclosure practices of family firms. Family firms have longer investment horizons and lower agency conflicts between owners and managers. However, they also exhibit higher agency conflicts between controlling and non-controlling shareholders, and greater concerns about their own reputations. We therefore hypothesize that the previously documented association between stock-based incentives and voluntary disclosures is dampened for family firms. In comparison to non-family firms, we find that family firms are less likely to provide management earnings forecasts when their CEO's wealth (linked to the firm) is higher. We note this influence only in larger firms, which is consistent with the finding that larger firms have a significantly higher number of stock-based incentives than smaller firms. Additionally, the main result continues to hold when a family member serves as CEO or on the board of directors. We contribute to the literature by extending the research on stock-based incentives and voluntary disclosure, linking this research to family firms, and providing insight on the conflicting results found in prior family firm research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I examine the role of voluntary disclosure programs in creating market incentives for competing firms to invest in environmentally cleaner technology. In an industry subject to environmental regulation (such as emission taxes), such programs may allow firms to credibly disclose their progress in achieving compliance cost reduction through investments in internal R&D, innovation and learning (whose outcomes are uncertain and unlikely to be publicly observable). Specifically, I analyze a duopoly where firms are subject to an emission tax and invest in reducing the emission intensity of their production processes; the outcome of the investment is private information. I show that the ex ante incentive to invest is always higher in the presence of the voluntary disclosure program than without it; in particular, the opportunity to credibly disclose progress in cost reduction allows a successful firm to convey its true position of competitive advantage to the rival firm and realize higher market share and profit. Thus, voluntary disclosure programs increase the efficacy of traditional forms of environmental regulation in creating incentives for green technological change (even when buyers have no preference for greener technology). I show that such programs generally increase social welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Response rates to the CDP climate change program differ strongly between different countries globally. This indicates that participation in carbon disclosure by stock-listed companies is strongly influenced by characteristics of national contexts. This article builds on ecological modernization theory and institutional theory. On this basis we examine how stringency and enforcement of environmental regulations on the one hand, and legal origins of financial systems on the other, can explain firms' participation in CDP climate change disclosure. Furthermore, it is asked whether multinational corporations are less affected by country-level characteristics. For the first time in the disclosure literature, multilevel regression analysis is used, a method that accounts for the hierarchical structure of a population of firms being embedded in national contexts. Our results show that both environmental regulations and legal origin are extremely relevant explanatory factors, accounting for more variance than all tested firm-level variables except size. Furthermore, while multinational firms do report more than domestic firms, we could not find that multinational corporations are less affected by the characteristics of their countries-of-origin. Our findings have implications for transparency-based initiatives as a governance tool for climate change mitigation, since they fit into some regulatory contexts better than others. Advances in voluntary disclosure seem most likely in emergent countries which tighten environmental regulations while liberalizing their economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines whether voluntary disclosure of internal control weaknesses (ICWs) in IPO registration statements is associated with managerial ability and subsequent SOX 404 adverse audit opinions. Using a sample of IPO registrants that voluntarily disclosed ICWs in their registration statements, we examine the relationship between ICW disclosure, managerial ability, and subsequent material weaknesses in internal control. We find that IPO registrants with higher managerial ability are more likely to disclose ICWs voluntarily than other registrants. Further, we find evidence that registrants that include voluntary ICW disclosures are more likely to subsequently receive an adverse SOX 404 audit opinion. Additionally, we find evidence that registrants are associated with negative cumulative abnormal returns when an auditor issues an adverse SOX 404 auditor opinion regardless of whether the ICWs were disclosed in the registration statement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the Supreme Court decision in the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case of 2010, which removed restrictions in relation to firms' political spending, and building on the growing debate over whether voluntary political spending disclosure (VPSD) provides valuable information, we examine the effect of political spending on the cost of public debt and the role of VPSD on this effect. Based on a measure of VPSD that became available in 2012 and a large dataset on US firms' actual political spending, manually extracted from different filings, we provide novel evidence that, in the post-Supreme Court decision period, political spending increases the cost of public debt. This is consistent with the uncertainty associated with political spending. Moreover, we find that the level of voluntary disclosure weakens the positive association between political spending and the cost of public debt. These results hold across multiple specifications as well as when we use a sudden release of firms' political spending as an exogenous shock to political spending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the determinants of voluntary corporate governance disclosure practices of 67 Islamic banks in the Southeast Asian and Gulf Cooperation Council regions. We expect that the risks inherent in Islamic banking will lead to a demand for greater corporate governance disclosures. However, we find that the mean level of voluntary governance disclosure is less than 40 per cent. We provide evidence that stronger corporate governance is associated with a higher level of voluntary corporate governance disclosure. Other factors that influence voluntary governance disclosures are the size of Islamic banks, the level of political and civil repression and the legal system. Our results inform the global debate on the need for corporate governance reform by Islamic banks by providing insights on the part played by corporate governance mechanisms in encouraging enhanced disclosure in the annual reports of Islamic banks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the impact of governance rules on share price and liquidity, using the turnover ratio and the bid-ask spread as proxies for the information asymmetry. We used a SEM model and analyzed the indirect relations through the voluntary disclosure of information and the organizational performance. We built a voluntary disclosure index based on the information firms provided in their annual reports and divided the governance characteristics in two constructs: directors’ and supervisors’ structures and ownership structure. We concluded that the ownership structure exerts a direct influence on share price and share liquidity, Otherwise, the directors’ and supervisors’ structures exert an indirect influence, through the organizational performance and the voluntary disclosure of information. The results also show that for firms with high levels of disclosure the bid-ask spread is lower. However, in firms with a high ownership concentration investors tend to increase the bid-ask spreads and trade less, which, in this case, reduces the liquidity of the stock. The failure to find the relationship between voluntary disclosure of information and the turnover ratio shows us that the liquidity of shares is more related to the greater or lesser concentration of shareholders, with the performance of their companies than with the access to information. Moreover, it is clear that the role that information disclosure plays is mainly at the level of price formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We empirically analyze disclosure decisions made by 240 MBA programs about which rankings to display on their websites. We present three main findings. First, consistent with theories of countersignaling, top schools are least likely to disclose their rankings, whereas mid-ranked schools are most likely to disclose. Second, schools that do poorly in the U.S. News rankings are more likely to disclose their Princeton Review certification, suggesting that schools treat different certifications as substitutes. Third, conditional on displaying a ranking, the majority of schools coarsen information to make it seem more favorable. The stark patterns in the data help to provide empirical evidence on the strategic elements of voluntary disclosure and marketing decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the determinants and economic consequences of disclosure of internal control weaknesses (ICWs) by Chinese listed firms under the voluntary disclosure regime over 2010–2011. We find that the probability of firms disclosing ICWs is not only associated with firm characteristics such as profitability, age and business complexity, but is also strongly related to the unique attributes of corporate governance and ownership structure in Chinese listed firms, e.g. the independence of the supervisory board, political connections, concentration of the top 3 shareholders' ownership and tradability of shares. Our results show that the severity of the ICWs disclosed is negatively and significantly associated with earnings response coefficients (ERCs), and audit assurance of ICRs has a significant moderating effect on the relationship between ICWs and ERCs. Our research adds further evidence to support the implementation of SOX-type regulations globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines early evidence of IPO registrants' disclosure exemption choices in response to the optional disclosure relief provided by the recently enacted Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act (JOBS Act) of 2012. The JOBS Act provides firms going public classified as “emerging growth companies” (EGCs) with certain accounting and financial reporting and disclosure exemptions not available to other issuers. The study's results for EGC firms filing prospectuses through August, 2013, indicate that for the earliest companies affected by the JOBS Act, greater board independence and audit committee accounting expertise are associated with greater likelihood of foregoing financial reporting exemptions. Moreover, the study finds that scaled executive compensation disclosure exemptions had widespread acceptance while the private company accounting standards and reduced audited financial statements exemption provisions were initially less utilized. Finally, the study finds that even though the JOBS Act raised the threshold for disclosure relief up to $1 billion in revenues, those firms that were already classified as smaller reporting companies which already have less extensive disclosure demands under SRC Rule #33–8876, were those most likely to initially take these exemptions. The paper discusses the practical implications of the study's findings for accounting standard-setters, watchdogs, and policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earnings conference calls (ECCs) have received considerable attention within accounting and finance studies which found that such voluntary disclosures provide investors with useful and relevant information. Starting from the hypothesis that argumentation is a crucial factor explaining the informational value of ECCs, we analyze the Q&A part of six ECCs focusing on the types of standpoints companies advance and on the types of questions analysts ask. We found that companies frequently justify evaluative and predictive standpoints. Analysts solicit these standpoints not by directly challenging managers, but by requesting opinions which create the occasion for argumentation or confirmation of plausible inferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Voluntary corporate environmental disclosure has increased significantly in the last decade. However, the increase in environmental disclosure has also been accompanied by the social questioning of its veracity. Previous studies have mainly focused on the determinant factors behind corporate decisions to disclose environmental data, with only limited consideration of both carbon performance and the veracity of the information disclosed. Based on an international sample of firms from 12 countries, this paper analyzes the impact of regulative pressures related to climate change on the likelihood of companies engaging in greenwashing. The results show that the number of regulations related to climate change negatively influences the propensity of firms to engage in greenwashing. Furthermore, firms in countries with stringent climate-related regulations are less likely to participate in greenwashing practices. This paper adds to the existing literature concerning greenwashing by demonstrating that institutional theory can deliver further insights into the explanation of corporate greenwashing behavior. This is the first study to incorporate international climate-related regulations into the analysis of corporate greenwashing. It also provides a new method for identifying greenwashing firms, based on their carbon performance and disclosure. • Countries' climate-related laws negatively influence corporate greenwashing. • Stricter climate-related regulations reduce greenwashing practices of firms. • The study provides a new method for the identification of greenwashing firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the effect of voluntary adoption and disclosure of policies/oversight of corporate political activities/spending on the cost of equity capital for S&P 500 firms over the period 2015–2018. Using the CPA-Zicklin Index to measure the level of policies, oversight, and disclosure of corporate political activities, we find that firms with a greater level of policies and oversight enjoy a lower cost of equity capital. We also document that a higher index is associated with higher stock liquidity. The negative relation is more pronounced among firms with higher exposure to political risk and firms with higher dependence on government spending. We also find that a firm's information environment plays an important role in moderating the relation between policies and oversight of corporate political activities and the cost of equity capital. Our findings suggest that voluntary adoption and disclosure of policies and oversight mitigates risks and uncertainties related to firms' political activities, thereby reducing information asymmetry and the cost of equity capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the relationship between mandatory and voluntary information. The introduction of IFRS in 2005 modified mandatory information requirements and influenced the content and level of the discretionary information disclosed by firms. This background allows us to test whether the complementary or substitution hypothesis dominates. A French firm data panel is used to empirically analyze the consequence of IFRS introduction. Referring to the 2003–2008 period gives a long-term perspective and allows us to identify discretionary communication policies by building a proprietary voluntary disclosure score. We find that voluntary disclosure policies experienced an upward swing with the introduction of IFRS, giving support to the complementary hypothesis. We also demonstrate a dynamic relationship between disclosure and the dispersion of analysts' earnings forecasts. The practical implication of the paper is to show that firms' discretionary communication policies follow both a long-term and a short-term component to meet analysts' demands for information. Our contribution is to refer to a long-term sample in one country where the environment and regulation context is homogenous. Our disclosure score index seems to be a good measure to outline that idiosyncratic communication policies are complex and strategic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study examines the association between firm attributes and management’s voluntary disclosure of the reason(s) for auditor changes and evaluates the capital market reaction to information disclosure of the auditor change events accompanied by preexisting red flag and non-red flag issues. We find that managers are more likely to disclose the reason(s) for auditor changes when those changes occurred because of benign business reasons or if the reasons do not indicate the presence of any underlying operating or financial reporting problem. On the other hand, managers are less likely to disclose the reason(s) for auditor changes when those changes are preceded by red-flag situations. Furthermore, auditor changes accompanied by preexisting red-flag situations are viewed negatively by the capital market, implying that the full disclosure of reasons for auditor changes is informative to investors. This observation is supported further by our market-based analyses, which consistently show that auditor changes accompanied by prevailing red flag issues are valued incrementally in the market above and beyond the reportable events (under FRR No. 31) and auditor-initiated changes. The study contributes to the recent policy debate related to mandating the disclosure of the reason(s) for auditor switches. Specifically, the results support the recent debates that the current voluntary disclosure regime results in selective disclosure practices that are likely to contribute to the general lack of transparency with respect to auditor changes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We examine whether a firm's voluntary disclosure of pandemic exposure increases stock price crash risk in a turbulent stock market caused by the spread of COVID-19 and other epidemic diseases. Pandemic risk is an unprecedented type of economic shock that alters the firm's stock price. Using an innovative firm-level pandemic exposure dataset based on the textual analysis of earnings conference calls, we show that there is a strong positive correlation between firm-level disclosure of pandemic exposure and one-quarter-ahead stock price crash risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] College admission departments behave strategically to improve rankings. [•] Colleges use SATI option policy to improve rankings. [•] Applicants behave strategically when deciding to submit SAT I scores. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Companies with relatively thin trading, a high concentration of insider ownership, and a privatized pension system characterize Chile’s Santiago Stock Exchange. Within this setting, we study the relationship between ownership concentration, corporate governance, and stock market liquidity. Our results suggest that board independence, corporate disclosure and outside monitoring by institutions help moderate the effects that insiders have on trading costs and liquidity. We also find that market makers with inventory reduce the informational component of trading costs. Finally, the trades of insiders provide price guidance to market makers, while traders employ a follow-the-insider strategy when transparency is low. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Agency conflicts between different types of investors are particularly severe in the presence of high family and block-holder ownership. By focusing on a setting characterised by high ownership concentration, we study the role of independent directors in promoting transparency through increased disclosure. In our tests, we use a sample of Spanish firms and, consistent with prior work, show that the presence of these directors is strongly associated with increased voluntary disclosure. Additionally, we find that when an executive director takes on Chair responsibilities the level of voluntary information is reduced, creating potential conflicts with the role of independent directors. Our results suggest that a strong legal framework holds firm-level clashes of interest in check. We conclude that this regulatory environment can create sufficient incentives to bring together the interests of minority and majority shareholders and guarantee an efficient monitoring role of independent directors. However, results suggest that other mechanisms should be reinforced in order to improve the role of governance control on agency relationships, particularly in the case of the concentration of Chair and executive responsibilities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In voluntary annual report communication, empirical results of signaling theory are contrasting, mainly owing to problems in disclosure measurements. We focus on a specific piece of incremental information and study the signaling strategies in annual reports by analyzing the disclosure of performance indicators that provide incremental information. In this paper, we scrutinize the business review of a sample of 120 listed Italian companies for fiscal year 2010. After controlling for size, risk, and industry, our analysis confirms that the number of indicators published is positively related to firm profitability. Our results help clarify the signaling strategies in annual report communication. Operatively, our evidence can help regulators and standard setters to better discipline the communication of relevant and private information in annual reports, particularly performance indicators. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper offers in-depth analysis of the determinants and features of voluntary disclosure based on information in the annual reports of 1066 Chinese firms listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. This extensive sample represents about 80% of all public companies in China. Our findings suggest that voluntary disclosure in China is positively related to firm size, leverage, assets-in-place, and return on equity and is negatively related to auditor type and the level of maturity or sophistication of the intermediary and legal environments. We also find some evidence to suggest a quadratic convex association between state ownership and voluntary disclosure. However, our analysis provides no evidence that extensive disclosure benefits public companies in China in the form of a lower cost of equity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We analyze 228 executive compensation contracts voluntarily disclosed by Chinese listed firms and find that central-government-controlled companies disclose more information in executive compensation contracts than local-government-controlled and non-government-controlled companies. Cash-based payments are the main form of executive compensation, whereas equity-based payments are seldom used by Chinese listed companies. On average, there are no significant differences in the value of basic salaries and performance-based compensation in executive compensation contracts. But, compared with their counterparts in non-government-controlled companies, executives in government-controlled companies are given more incentive compensation. Accounting earnings are typically used in executive compensation contracts, with few firms using stock returns to evaluate their executives. However, the use of non-financial measures has increased significantly since 2007. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This is one of the first large-scale studies to examine the voluntary disclosure practices of foreign firms cross-listed in the United States. We proxy for voluntary disclosure using three attributes of firms’ management earnings guidance: (1) the likelihood of issuance; (2) the frequency of earnings guidance; and (3) a guidance quality measure. After first establishing that market participants view these firms’ disclosures as credible and economically important (i.e., the disclosures are negatively related to analyst forecast errors and the implied cost of equity capital), we compare cross-listed firms’ disclosure practices with comparable US firms and explore variations in disclosure practices among cross-listed firms. We find that cross-listed firms issue less frequent and lower quality management earnings guidance than comparable US firms. We further show that the gap between US and cross-listed firms widened after passage of Regulation FD, a regulation which induced greater public disclosure of firm-specific information. Focusing on the sample of cross-listing firms, we show that firms from common-law countries disclose more than firms from code-law countries. Finally, our results indicate that cross-listed firms that do not list on an organized US exchange provide more frequent and higher quality disclosure than those that do list on organized exchanges. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We examine the quality of accounting disclosures by family firms using mandatory and voluntary disclosures as proxies for the quality of disclosure. We find that family firms comply more fully with mandatory disclosure requirements than do non-family firms but they disclose significantly less voluntary information. We also document that the enhanced accounting regulation improves the strength of the association between family ownership and mandatory disclosure compliance. Another important finding is the greater disclosure, both mandatory and voluntary, for firms with high family ownership compared to firms with low family ownership. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study discusses various influences on firms to provide additional environmental disclosure and empirically measures and analyzes the extent of actual environmental disclosures included in the annual reports of firms in the U.S. and Canada. The environmental disclosure content provided in the annual reports of firms is evaluated based on environmental reporting guidelines published by the American Institute of Public Accountants and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants. In general, the results indicate that U.S. firms provided a significantly higher level of environmental disclosure than did Canadian firms. Also, firms in each nation varied significantly in the amount of environmental disclosure provided in each of four annual report sections. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study examines disclosure practices on the websites of companies listed on the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange. We perform content analysis to provide evidence on Internet reporting practices by 84 publicly traded firms. We also identify the characteristics of firms that communicate financial and non-financial information on the Internet. We find that companies in the financial and insurance, services and mining industries disclose more financial and non-financial information on their websites than companies in other industries. The average concentration of ownership is 68%, with 27% of the companies being controlled by foreign groups. Those companies with higher concentration disclose more financial and non financial information than companies with less concentration. Companies in the financial and insurance and service industries, utilize their websites for commercial purposes to facilitate access to customers to their accounts and also to sell services. This e-commerce usage of websites is less developed in other industries. About 71% of companies in the financial and insurance industry are included in the Merval25 index and are audited by Big 4. These companies are both larger in size and less profitable than companies in other industries. We find that profitability and leverage do not have significant effect on corporate Internet reporting practices and that growth has negative effect on corporate Internet reporting practices. We also find that companies in the mining sector provide significantly more disclosure about social responsibility indicating a desire to improve the public image of harming the environment. The results documented, herein, extend the literature on voluntary disclosure of financial and non-financial information using the Internet in emerging markets. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study reports the results of semi-structured interviews conducted to explore the factors affecting Jordanian listed firms'' decisions on whether or not to have a corporate website and, if so, whether or not to use it in investor relations activities. Corporate interviewees noted that the decision to have an online presence was motivated by a desire to enhance the company''s image and reputation, and the need to re-brand the company was often a key event triggering website adoption. Particularly important here were international influences, whether international partners, shareholders or competitors. However, in all cases, top management support was essential and played a key role in influencing the ways in which companies use their website both in general and for investor relations activities in particular. Results also revealed that the key factor explaining the lack of a corporate website was the attitude or belief of management. Of key importance was their belief that stakeholders, including Jordanian stock market participants, are not yet ready or willing to use the internet to acquire information about the company. Some interviewees similarly concluded that there is no demand for investor relations information on corporate websites because the Jordanian Securities Commission publishes all listed companies'' annual reports on its own website. Other factors explaining the lack of a corporate website were management change, absence of competition and having been listed on the Jordanian stock exchange for a long period. This research extends our understanding of disclosure on the internet by considering a different research setting, namely Jordan, and also by extending the theoretical framework used. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: When there is high information asymmetry between directors and managers, independent directors do not have enough information to perform their functions. Only when faced with a good internal information environment can such directors acquire enough information to provide advice and monitor managers, and only under these conditions can increasing their proportion on the board effectively reduce agency problems, such as driving managers to disclose information to investors. Using a sample of Chinese listed firms that voluntarily disclose their auditors’ reports on internal controls from 2007 to 2009, this study explores how the information acquisition costs of independent directors affect their monitoring effectiveness by investigating the disclosure decisions of their internal control audits. We find that when the information asymmetry between insiders and outside directors is low and the proportion of independent directors on a board is high, a firm is more likely to voluntarily disclose its internal control audit report. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study examines voluntary disclosure practices amongst listed companies in Nigeria. Results from univariate and multivariate analyses of 52 listed companies suggest an average voluntary disclosure of 44% based on modified Meek, Roberts and Gray (1995) disclosure index comprising 24 disclosure items. The study found significant positive relationship between voluntary disclosure and firm size, measured as the natural logarithm of total asset. The study documents significant positive relationship between market-based definition of firm performance and voluntary disclosure. The study also found significant negative relationship between percentage of block share ownership and percentage of managerial share with firm disclosures. The study has important implication for both individual and institutional investors globally, regulators and policy makers in developing economies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of stock-based incentives in encouraging more voluntary disclosures about firm-specific intangibles. I also examine whether corporate governance, previously found to be related to voluntary disclosures, is a complement to or substitute for stock-based incentives. Using content analysis of annual reports of a sample of high-tech firms, I find that stock-based incentives are positively associated with firms'' voluntary disclosures about intangibles. With regard to the effect of governance mechanisms, I find that corporate governance does not have a relationship with disclosures when stock-based incentives are low. On the other hand, better governance will strengthen the positive effect of stock-based incentives on disclosures, suggesting that governance and incentives mechanisms are complements instead of substitutes. The results also show that this complementary effect primarily results from the internal monitoring provided by the board of directors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Dual-listed firms simultaneously follow the relevant rules in their home country and in their cross-listed country. In contrast, other firms only listed in the cross-listed country are only subject to the local regulations. Previous literature has found evidence that cross-listing can improve firms’ information transparency because of more stringent listing rules in the cross-listed country. The existing research, however, has not paid enough attention to the potential influence of dual-listed firms and their home country institutional factors (e.g. unique disclosure policies) on other firms only listed in the cross-listed country (i.e. spillover effect). In the Hong Kong market, Chinese dual-listed firms are under the mandatory profit warning regulation of mainland China, but other firms listed only in Hong Kong only need to follow the voluntary disclosure rule of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Such a setting provides us with the opportunity to investigate a spillover effect, i.e. whether these Chinese dual-listed firms influence their peers only listed in Hong Kong to release profit warnings. We find that firms only listed in Hong Kong are more likely to issue profit warnings if their Chinese dual-listed peers have also issued warnings. We further find that this spillover effect increases with the market capitalization of Chinese dual-listed firms and increases with the market share of these firms before they dominate the industry. Lastly, due to an underlying duty to disclose material information in Hong Kong, the spillover effect is weaker for firms with large earnings surprises. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]