scholarly journals Visual trends in the annual report: the case of Ericsson 1947-2016

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 312-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emelie Havemo
Keyword(s):  
Impression Management ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Annual Report ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Corporate Disclosure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Visual Research ◽  
Visual Research Methods ◽  
Visual Elements ◽  
Reporting Practice

PurposeDisclosure research has argued that visuals are increasingly used in annual reports as a way to increase readability of the annual report, but comparatively little is known about of diagrams compared to graphs and photographs. The purpose of this paper is to provide a historical account of visuals use in corporate disclosure, with an emphasis on diagrams, to show changes from the 1940s until present-day reporting.Design/methodology/approachVisual research methods were applied to analyze how diagrams, photographs and graphs were used in 69 annual reports of the Swedish telecom company Ericsson.FindingsPhotographs have been used with increasing frequency since the 1950s. Graph and diagram use has increased significantly since the 1990s while photograph use remained stable, suggesting that graphs and diagrams increasingly complement photographs for visually representing the organization in corporate disclosure. Factors explaining the case company’s development include both internal (performance, individual preferences, shifting from a manufacturing-based strategy to a service-based strategy) and external (legislation, transformation of the telecom industry).Originality/valueVisual elements in annual reports are increasingly oriented toward immaterial representations of the organization’s standings and identity and diagrams are increasingly used and contribute to this. This finding motivates further research about diagram use in corporate communication, such as how different diagram types convey accounting messages, and whether diagrams serve as impression management devices. For regulators, it will be important to follow the emerging trend of diagram use, since it is becoming part of reporting practice.

scholarly journals Community disclosures in a developing country: insights from a neo-pluralist perspective

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 452-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teerooven Soobaroyen ◽  
Jyoti Devi Mahadeo
Keyword(s):  
Impression Management ◽  
Community Involvement ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Annual Report ◽  
Qualitative Assessment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Environmental Disclosures ◽  
Management Techniques ◽  
Local Companies ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse changes in community disclosures by listed companies in Mauritius. Design/methodology/approach – The authors carried out a quantitative and qualitative assessment of annual report disclosures over the period 2004-2010. In particular, the authors consider the influence of a corporate governance code and a government intervention to first persuade and subsequently mandate corporate social responsibility investment (known as a “CSR Levy”). Findings – From a predominantly limited and neutral form of communication, narratives of community involvement morph into assertive and rhetorical statements, emphasising commitment, permanency and an intimate connection to the community and a re-organisation of activities and priorities which seek to portray structure and order in the way companies deliver community interventions. Informed by Gray et al.’s (1995) neo-pluralist framework and documentary evidence pertaining to the country’s social, political and economic context, the authors relate the change in disclosures to the use of corporate impression management techniques with a view to maintain legitimacy and to counter the predominant public narrative on the insufficient extent of community involvement by local companies. Research limitations/implications – The authors find that community disclosures are not only legitimating mechanisms driven by international pressures but are also the result of local tensions and expectations. Originality/value – This study provides evidence on forms of “social” – as opposed to environmental – disclosures. Furthermore, it examines a unique setting where a government enacted a legally binding regime for greater corporate social involvement.

scholarly journals CSR disclosure in response to major airline accidents: a legitimacy-based exploration

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petros Vourvachis ◽  
Thérèse Woodward ◽  
David G. Woodward ◽  
Dennis M Patten
Keyword(s):  
Annual Report ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Corporate Disclosure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Legitimacy ◽  
Airline Accidents ◽  
Major Airlines ◽  
Csr Disclosure ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the literature investigating disclosure reactions to legitimacy threats by analyzing the corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosure reactions to catastrophic accidents suffered by major airlines. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use content analysis to examine changes in annual report disclosure in response to four separate airline disasters. The authors adopt two classification schemes and two measurement approaches to explore these changes. Findings – The authors find that for three events the organizations appear to have responded with considerable increases in CSR disclosure that are consistent with attempts of legitimation. For one of the events examined, the authors find no disclosure response and suggest that this could be due to the company’s unwillingness to accept responsibility. Research limitations/implications – The study’s focus on major airlines that have suffered an accident with available annual reports in English meant that other companies had to be excluded from the analysis. Practical implications – The findings demonstrate the use of the annual report as a legitimation tool and further highlight the need for greater transparency and comparability across publications. Originality/value – The paper adds to the scarce literature examining corporate disclosure reactions following threats to their social legitimacy.

Developing a reporting and evaluation framework for biodiversity

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 527-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grant Samkin ◽  
Annika Schneider ◽  
Dannielle Tappin
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Annual Report ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Ecological Perspective ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Ecological Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Related Text ◽  
Over Time

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the development of a biodiversity reporting and evaluation framework. The application of the framework to an exemplar organisation identifies biodiversity-related annual report disclosures and analyses changes in the nature and levels of these over time. Finally, the paper aims to establish whether the disclosures made by the exemplar are consistent with a deep ecological perspective, as exemplified by New Zealand conservation legislation. Design/methodology/approach – Viewing the framework developed by the paper through a deep ecological lens, the study involves a detailed content analysis of the biodiversity disclosures contained within the annual reports of a conservation organisation over a 23-year period. Using the framework developed in this paper, the biodiversity-related text units were identified and allocated to one of three major categories, 13 subcategories, and then into deep, intermediate and shallow ecology. Findings – Biodiversity disclosures enable stakeholders to determine the goals, assess their implementation, and evaluate the performance of an organisation. Applying the framework to the exemplar revealed the majority of annual report disclosures focused on presenting performance/implementation information. The study also found that the majority of disclosures reflect a deep ecological approach. A deep/shallow ecological tension was apparent in a number of disclosures, especially those relating to the exploitation of the conservation estate. Originality/value – This paper is the first to develop a framework that can be used as both a biodiversity reporting assessment tool and a reporting guide. The framework will be particularly useful for those studying reporting by conservation departments and stakeholders of organisations whose operations impact biodiversity.

Culture and annual report readability

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Minyoung Noh
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Annual Report ◽  
State Level ◽  
The State ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Litigation Risk ◽  
Content Type ◽  
State Culture ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Positive Effect

Purpose This study aims to examine the effect of state culture on the readability of narrative disclosures in annual reports based on firms located in all 50 states of the USA. Design/methodology/approach The author uses the cultural tightness and looseness (Harrington and Gelfand 2014) index at the state level and the BOG index (Bonsall and Miller, 2017) as the primary measures of annual report readability. Findings Using US data from 1994 to 2019, this study finds that the state level of cultural tightness in which firms are located positively affects firms’ annual report readability. In addition, the study finds that the positive effect of cultural tightness on annual report readability is pronounced in subgroups with high litigation risk while the result does not hold with subgroups that have low litigation risk. The results are robust when alternative proxies for annual report readability are used and historical location and the states in which firms are incorporated are considered. Originality/value This study contributes to the growing literature on the determinants of readability in annual report because firms’ narrative disclosure in annual report varies depending on the information environment, litigation risk, embedded in each state culture where firms are located.

scholarly journals Impression management in annual report narratives: the case of the UK private finance initiative

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 1566-1592 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria C. Edgar ◽  
Matthias Beck ◽  
Niamh M. Brennan
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Impression Management ◽  
Annual Report ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Private Finance Initiative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Private Finance ◽  
Policy Direction ◽  
The Uk

Purpose The UK private finance initiative (PFI) public policy is heavily criticised. PFI contracts are highly profitable leading to incentives for PFI private-sector companies to support PFI public policy. This contested nature of PFIs requires legitimation by PFI private-sector companies, by means of impression management, in terms of the attention to and framing of PFI in PFI private-sector company annual reports. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach PFI-related annual report narratives of three UK PFI private-sector companies, over seven years and across two periods of significant change in the development of the PFI public policy, are analysed using manual content analysis. Findings Results suggest that PFI private-sector companies use impression management to legitimise during periods of uncertainty for PFI public policy, to alleviate concerns, to provide credibility for the policy and to legitimise the private sector’s own involvement in PFI. Research limitations/implications While based on a sizeable database, the research is limited to the study of three PFI private-sector companies. Originality/value The portrayal of public policy in annual report narratives has not been subject to prior research. The research demonstrates how managers of PFI private-sector companies present PFI narratives in support of public policy direction that, in turn, benefits PFI private-sector companies.

Nexus between risk sharing vs non-risk sharing financing and economic growth of Bangladesh

2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 739-758 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ashraful Ferdous Chowdhury ◽  
Chowdhury Shahed Akbar ◽  
Mohammad Shoyeb
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Risk Sharing ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Annual Report ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Islamic Banks ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Risk Transfer ◽  
Ardl Approach

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the linkage between Islamic financing principles and economic growth (EG) by taking into consideration two Islamic Financing Principles: Risk Sharing and non-risk sharing separately. Design/methodology/approach The data for this study are obtained from the annual reports of all Islamic banks from Bangladesh using Bank scope database and annual report for the period 1984-2014. The research uses an Autoregressive Distributive Lags (ARDL) approach. For robustness, this study also employs a continuous wavelet transform approach. Findings The empirical findings reveal that the risk sharing instruments are positively related to the EG of the country. On the other hand, non-risk sharing instruments are negatively related to the EG of the country. Research limitations/implications The dominant use of non-risk sharing-based financing has undermined the greater possibility of Islamic banking to contribute more to the EG of the country. Banks and other financial institutions need to pay greater attention to systemic risk created by risk transfer and apply risk sharing methods of financing more vigorously to achieve greater equity, efficient allocation of resources, stability and growth of the financial system and welfare of the society as a whole. Originality/value This study has advanced the knowledge by examining the issue of Islamic financing principles and EG. This is probably one of the first attempts to find the linkage between Islamic financing principles and EG by taking into consideration two portfolios: risk sharing and non-risk sharing separately and provide significant insights for policy makers, market players and academicians.

scholarly journals Hide-and-seek in corporate disclosure: evidence from negative corporate incidents

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 158-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley Rudkin ◽  
Danson Kimani ◽  
Subhan Ullah ◽  
Rizwan Ahmed ◽  
Syed Umar Farooq
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Tax Evasion ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Corporate Disclosure ◽  
Positive Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Scandals ◽  
Accounting Scandals ◽  
Wide Range

PurposeThis paper investigates the legitimacy tactics used in the annual reports of UK listed companies in the aftermath of major corporate scandals.Design/methodology/approachWe carried out a content analysis of annual reports of 19 companies that have been involved in corporate scandals with a view to understand how firms communicate negative scandals affecting them.FindingsThe findings reveal that firms use a wide range of legitimisation strategies in the manner that contribute to shape disclosure communications concerning negative incidents. For instance, some firms may offset the negativity linked to an incident by rendering such explanations amidst positive information.Originality/valueContrary to earlier studies conducted on accounting scandals, the authors incorporated extensive corporate scandals such as human rights violations, controversies concerning child labour, environmental scandals, corruption, financial embezzlement and tax evasion.

EXPLORING THE CONTENTS OF THE BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILROAD ANNUAL REPORTS: 1827–1856

2000 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary John Previts ◽  
William D. Samson
Keyword(s):  
Annual Report ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Corporate Disclosure ◽  
University Of Alabama ◽  
Complete Collection ◽  
Archival Collection ◽  
Annual Reporting ◽  
The University ◽  
Disclosure Practice ◽  
Corporate Practice

In 1995, a nearly complete collection of the annual reports of the earliest interstate and common carrier railroad in the U. S., the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O), was rediscovered in the archival collection at the Bruno Library of the University of Alabama. Dating from the company's inception in 1827 to its acquisition by the Chessie System in 1962, the reports present a unique opportunity for the exploration, study, and analysis of early U.S. corporate disclosure practice. This paper represents a study of the annual report information made publicly available by one of America's first railroads, and one of the first modern U.S. corporations. In this paper, early annual reports of the B&O which detail its formation, construction, and operation are catalogued as to content and evaluated. Mandated in the corporate charter, the annual “statement of affairs” presented by the management and directors to stockholders is studied as a process and as a product that instigated the institutional corporate practice recognized today as “annual reporting.” Using a single company methodology for assessment of reporting follows a pattern developed by Claire [1945] in his analysis of U.S. Steel and utilized by other researchers. This study demonstrates the use of archival information to improve understanding about the origins and contents of early annual reports and, therein, related disclosure forms.

Responding to “Discrediting” Events: Annual Report Disclosure Responses to Environmental Fines

2002 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hussein Warsame ◽  
Cynthia V. Simmons ◽  
Dean Neu
Keyword(s):  
Impression Management ◽  
Annual Report ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Matched Pair ◽  
Disclosure Quality ◽  
Publicly Traded ◽  
Environmental Disclosure ◽  
Environmental Disclosures ◽  
Disclosure Responses

In this study we consider how a discrediting event such as an environmental fine influences the quality of environmental disclosures in subsequent annual reports. Starting from prior work in the areas of impression management along with environmental and social responsibility disclosures, we propose that environmental disclosures provide organizations with a method of “managing” such discrediting events. Using a matched-pair sample of publicly traded Canadian companies that have been subject to environmental fines and those that have not; we analyze changes in pre-fine and post-fine environmental disclosure quality. After controlling for firm-specific characteristics, the provided results are consistent with this explanation.

scholarly journals Does graphical reporting improve risk disclosure? Evidence from European banks

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 161-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Jones ◽  
Andrea Melis ◽  
Silvia Gaia ◽  
Simone Aresu
Keyword(s):  
Credit Risk ◽  
Impression Management ◽  
Perspective Taking ◽  
Voluntary Disclosure ◽  
Cognitive Biases ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Risk Disclosure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Incremental Information

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the voluntary disclosure of risk-related issues, with a focus on credit risk, in graphical reporting for listed banks in the major European economies. It aims to understand if banks portray credit risk-related information in graphs accurately and whether these graphs provide incremental, rather than replicative, information. It also investigates whether credit risk-related graphs provide a fair representation of risk performance or a more favourable impression than is warranted. Design/methodology/approach A graphical accuracy index was constructed. Incremental information was measured. A multi-level linear model investigated whether credit risk affects the quantity and quality of graphical credit risk disclosure. Findings Banks used credit risk graphs to provide incremental information. They were also selective, with riskier banks less likely to use risk graphs. Banks were accurate in their graphical reporting, particularly those with high levels of credit risk. These findings can be explained within an impression management perspective taking human cognitive biases into account. Preparers of risk graphs seem to prefer selective omission over obfuscation via inaccuracy. This probably reflects the fact that individuals, and by implication annual report’s users, generally judge the provision of inaccurate information more harshly than the omission of unfavourable information. Research limitations/implications This study provides theoretical insights by pointing out the limitations of a purely economics-based agency theory approach to impression management. Practical implications The study suggests annual reports’ readers need to be careful about subtle forms of impression management, such as those exploiting their cognitive bias. Regulatory and professional bodies should develop guidelines to ensure neutral and comparable graphical disclosure. Originality/value This study provides a substantive alternative to the predominant economic perspective on impression management in corporate reporting, by incorporating a psychological perspective taking human cognitive biases into account.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document