Internal control quality and voluntary disclosure: does CEO duality matter?

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hichem Khlif ◽  
Khaled Samaha ◽  
Ines Amara
Keyword(s):  
Internal Control ◽  
Voluntary Disclosure ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Structural Power ◽  
Ceo Duality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Reporting ◽  
Control Quality

PurposeThe authors examine the association between internal control quality (ICQ) and voluntary disclosure and test whether chief executive officer (CEO) duality, as a proxy for CEO structural power, moderates such a relationship in an emerging market (Egypt).Design/methodology/approachICQ is measured using a survey of external auditors, while a content analysis approach is used to measure the level of voluntary disclosure in annual reports.FindingsBased on a sample of 512 firm-year observations over the period of 2007–2014, the authors document that ICQ is positively and significantly associated with voluntary disclosure, suggesting that better controls improve corporate reporting policy. In addition, CEO duality moderates the association between ICQ and voluntary disclosure since this positive relationship association becomes insignificant for companies characterised by CEO duality. These results remain stable after controlling for endogeneity (self-selection problem), political instability and industry characteristics.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings of the study provide preliminary evidence on the association between ICQ and voluntary disclosure, and how CEO structural power may affect this association. Future empirical investigations may extend this work to cover the relationship between ICQ and other attributes of corporate transparency including earnings quality and accounting conservatism.Practical implicationsThe findings highlight the need for Egyptian regulators to enact new rules obliging firms to communicate information about ICQ or charging auditors to report information about firm's ICQ in their reports. The results also alert policymakers about the adverse effect of combined leadership structure (CEO duality) since it mitigates the positive impact of ICQ on voluntary disclosure.Originality/valueThe authors contribute to internal control literature by exploring the association between ICQ and voluntary disclosure on an emergent unregulated market with respect to internal control disclosure. They also highlight how CEO duality, as a proxy for CEO power, mitigates the beneficial effect of ICQ on corporate reporting policy on the Egyptian stock exchange (EGX).

Voluntary disclosure of accounting ratios and firm-specific characteristics: the case of GCC

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-324
Author(s):  
Ayman E. Haddad ◽  
Fatima Baalbaki Shibly ◽  
Ruwaidah Haddad
Keyword(s):  
Voluntary Disclosure ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Market Participants ◽  
Corporate Reporting ◽  
Data Regression ◽  
Incident Rate ◽  
Rate Ratios ◽  
Accounting Ratios

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the voluntary disclosure of accounting ratios in the corporate annual reports of manufacturing firms in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and determines whether an association exists between voluntary disclosure and firm-specific characteristics namely, size, profitability, leverage, liquidity and efficiency. Design/methodology/approach A sample of 53 GCC listed manufacturing firms and 263 firm-year observations were observed over the period 2011 to 2015. A count data regression (Poisson) with incident rate ratios was used to identify the relationship between firms’ voluntary disclosures of accounting ratios and other firm-specific characteristics. Findings During the period under review, the voluntary disclosure of accounting ratios provided in annual reports of GCC firms were found to be exceedingly low. On average, a GCC company discloses at most two accounting ratios in its annual reports. The results also show that the profitability ratios are the most popularly reported ones. Controlling for family board domination, the results also reveal that structure-related variables (firm size and leverage) are positively associated with accounting ratio disclosures. However, performance-related variables (profitability, liquidity and efficiency) have no significant effect on disclosures. The authors conclude that signaling theory as implied in the performance-related variables is not strongly supported in the GCC region. Originality/value This is the first known study to investigate the disclosure of accounting ratios and its determinants within the context of GCC. The findings of this study could be beneficial to both agents and principals in assessing the associated risks. The study provides regulators and market participants an understanding of the corporate reporting activities of manufacturing firms in the GCC and who accordingly will be able to consider associated policy implementation.

The effects of the board composition, board size and CEO duality on export performance

2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (11) ◽  
pp. 1374-1409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tulay Ilhan Nas ◽  
Ozan Kalaycioglu
Keyword(s):  
Positive Impact ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Export Performance ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Board Composition ◽  
Outside Directors ◽  
Board Size ◽  
Ceo Duality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Exporting Firms

Purpose This study aims to understand the antecedents of export performance at the firm level. Building on agency theory but taking into account emerging market settings and institutional differences, the authors investigate how the board composition determines the export competitiveness of the firms operating in an emerging country from the point of view of corporate governance mechanisms. Design/methodology/approach Using data from 221 exporting firms for four years (2007-2010), the authors find that there is a significantly positive relationship between board size and all measures of export performance, while a higher presence of outside directors on the board is negatively associated with export performance, consistently with expectations. The separation of chairman of board of directors and chief executive officer (CEO) positions has significantly positive impact on export performance. On the other hand, the authors find no support for the position that inside director professional representation neither reduce nor increase all measures of export performance of firms. In other words, the convergence with Western practices and consistently with agency theory’s claims is evident for both board size and CEO duality. However, the effects of inside professional and outside directors are no consistent with agency theorists’ expectations. Findings Using data from 221 exporting firms for four years (2007-2010), the authors find that there is a significantly positive relationship between board size and all measures of export performance, while a higher presence of outside directors on the board is a negatively associated with export performance, consistently with expectations. The separation of chairman of board of directors and CEO positions has significantly positive impact on export performance. On the other hand, the authors find no support for the position that inside director professional representation neither reduce nor increase all measures of export performance of firms. In other words, the convergence with Western practices and consistently with agency theory’s claims is evident for both board size and CEO duality. However, the effects of inside professional and outside directors are no consistent with agency theorists’ expectations. Research limitations/implications Export performance is one of the most widely researched areas within international marketing research but least reached topic of management. However, exporting continues to be an important mode of internationalization for multinational companies, especially operating an emerging economy. This study is one of the first studies on the impact of governance factors such as board structure on only export performance rather than overall (firm) performance in light of international management. In other words, the study of the determinants of exports in the context of an emerging economy is an important contribution to the literature, given that our understanding of how the board composition determines the export competitiveness from the point of view of firms operating in an emerging country such as Turkey. Moreover, this research investigates this relationship at objective export performance dimensions using primary data set from listed and non-listed export firms. Practical implications The current study offered in-depth information to multinational companies that aim to gain a competitive exporting advantage in Turkey. Further, the results of this study give managers an opportunity to see the reasons behind the success of the exporting firms from the point of view of corporate governance mechanism. Originality/value In this paper, the authors contribute to this recent stream of research providing evidence on the effects of governance mechanism on the export performance from the point of view of emerging countries. Building on agency theory but taking into account emerging market settings and institutional differences, and international management, the authors provide a new framework that models the linkages between board composition and export performance. This work helps us to gain a deeper understanding of how board dynamics contribute to the internalization of firms. Research in this area has been sparse, although some studies have linked governance with export intensity. In this effort, the authors differentiate from previous studies in several ways.

scholarly journals Managerial Shareholding and CSR: Does Internal Control Quality Matter?—Evidence from China

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 4206
Author(s):  
Mingyuan Guo ◽  
Shuyu Shen
Keyword(s):  
Internal Control ◽  
Voluntary Disclosure ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Good Choice ◽  
Mandatory Disclosure ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Robust Test ◽  
Control Quality ◽  
Csr Disclosure ◽  
Corporate Social

This paper uses the data of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) performance of A-share listed companies in China from 2013–2017 as sample to study on the impacts of managerial shareholding on CSR performance. By dividing the sample into mandatory disclosure group and voluntary disclosure group, we first empirically test the impacts of managerial shareholding on CSR performance. Then, we discuss the role of internal control quality in the impacts of managerial shareholding on CSR performance. Panel data models are employed in the empirical research and robust test. The empirical results show that: Firstly, in mandatory disclosure group, managerial shareholding has no significant impacts on CSR performance. In voluntary disclosure group, managerial shareholding has a positive impact on CSR performance. Secondly, in voluntary disclosure group, internal control quality has a positive role in the impacts of managerial shareholding on CSR performance, but this positive role cannot be supported empirically in mandatory disclosure group. Overall, these findings indicate that CSR performance is influenced by managerial shareholding and varies with CSR disclosure behaviors. The results of robust test also support this conclusion. Finally, we put forward that it would be a good choice for the companies to implement long-term equity incentives and improve internal control quality to promote CSR performance.

scholarly journals Analysis of the Information Disclosure of Commercial Banks’ Internal Control

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 77
Author(s):  
Fangliang Huang ◽  
Jing Chen ◽  
Hui Ma ◽  
Qiaoping Hou
Keyword(s):  
Internal Control ◽  
Commercial Banks ◽  
Voluntary Disclosure ◽  
Information Disclosure ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Control Information ◽  
The Board Of Directors

By adopting the content analysis approach, this paper selects the annual reports of 45 China’s commercial banks to analyze the influencing factors of internal control information disclosure. The quality of internal control information disclosure of listed banks tends to be better than non-listed banks. Our empirical study shows that the factors of the exchanges of the banks’ listing, the proportion of the number of independent directors in the board of directors, and the times of the audit committee meetings have a significant positive impact on the quality of internal control information disclosure of commercial banks. To improve the quality of the internal control information disclosure of commercial banks, we put forward such suggestions as amending the supervision system, reducing the listing threshold and creating opportunities for listing for small and medium sized commercial banks, developing voluntary disclosure incentive policies, and intensifying effective punishment measures against and misbehavior in the information disclosure.

Board independence and internal control quality in Egypt: does CEO duality matter?

2019 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 345-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hichem Khlif ◽  
Khaled Samaha
Keyword(s):  
Internal Control ◽  
Board Independence ◽  
Ceo Duality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
External Auditors ◽  
Control Quality ◽  
Leadership Structure ◽  
Board Leadership Structure ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to examine the relationship between board independence and internal control quality (ICQ) in Egypt and investigate whether CEO duality moderates such an association. Design/methodology/approach A survey among external auditors is used to assess ICQ among Egyptian listed firms over the period of 2007-2010. Findings Findings show that board independence does not have a significant positive effect on ICQ. However, when testing for the moderating effect of CEO duality on such a relationship, the authors document that the association becomes positive and significant under combined board leadership structure, whereas it is negative under separated leadership structure. Originality/value The authors’ results demonstrate that CEO duality plays a governance role in weak legal environment like Egypt by strengthening board independence role in increasing ICQ.

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.

Board structure changes after accounting fraud: the case of Schneider Electric

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedicte Millet-Reyes ◽  
Nancy Uddin
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
Multinational Corporation ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Board Structure ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Accounting Fraud ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Theoretical basis The impact of corporate governance on internal controls and quality of financial disclosures. Research methodology Analysis of a real financial fraud event for a non-US multinational corporation. The case relies on accessing and analyzing annual reports for the firm, both before and after the fraud. Additional information on industry governance characteristics are provided in the case itself so that students can compare the firm to the industry. Case overview/synopsis This business case is centered on the analysis of Schneider Electric, a French multinational corporation, which had to restate their financial statements in 2011 because of accounting fraud. Following this event, Schneider undertook major changes in their board structure to improve internal control mechanisms. This pedagogical business case familiarizes students with international differences in ownership and board structure and emphasizes potential corporate governance changes after financial statement fraud. Complexity academic level Managerial finance, corporate finance, international finance, auditing. This case is more appropriate for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses.

Cultural and organizational integration in cross-border M&A deals

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 1109-1135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrei Panibratov
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Multinational Enterprises ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Integration Process ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Organizational Integration

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify key factors that influence the integration process in cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&A) deals of emerging multinational enterprises (EMNEs). The research questions are: how national and organizational culture coupled with other organizational characteristics influence M&A deals of EMNEs? Which factors influence the process of cultural and organizational integration in cross-border M&A deals, initiated by EMNEs? What is the effect and consequences that different integration factors have on cross-border M&A deals by EMNEs? Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a multiple case study research, considering cross-border deals of Chinese and Russian firms separately. Each block consists of two cases, describing M&A integration of companies operating in two sectors: high technology and finance. The authors obtained the data for case studies from companies’ official websites, annual reports, press releases, other official documents where companies were mentioned, business-media sources (newspapers and magazines), published interviews, documented speeches, letters, laws, as well as through blogs and social networks. The authors have also used the published information from articles, books, databases, and previously conducted case studies. Findings The authors have identified the factors influencing deals’ results of Chinese and Russian MNEs, with explanation based on case studies’ analysis. The full list of factors is presented in Table IV in the manuscript. The authors have also identified the set of elements that were derived from the case studies’ analysis only, without having any strong support in the literature, such as changes at a senior management level, educational and business exchanges, CSR policy, and the government involvement. Originality/value The authors have identified the key factors that influence integration of emerging market firms in cross-border M&A deal. The list of factors was adjusted and actualized in accordance with the results of four cases of cross-border M&A deals of Chinese or Russian companies. As a result, the authors founded the combination of characteristics of cultural and organizational integration process of firms from China and Russia.

Female directors and CSR disclosure in Bangladesh: the role of family affiliation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pallab Kumar Biswas ◽  
Helen Roberts ◽  
Rosalind Heather Whiting
Keyword(s):  
Family Firms ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Female Directors ◽  
Csr Disclosure ◽  
Female Director ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the impact of female director affiliations to governing families on corporate social responsibility (CSR) disclosures in the context of Bangladeshi firms. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a quantitative empirical research method grounded in Socioemotional Wealth (SEW) theory. Data was sourced from Bangladeshi publicly listed non-financial sector companies’ annual reports and stock exchange trading and publication reports and consists of 2,637 firm-year observations from 1996 to 2011. Pooled multivariate regression models are used to test the association between corporate social and environmental disclosure and female directors, and the family affiliation (or not) of those directors. Findings The findings provide strong evidence that female directors who are affiliated to the governing family, founders and other board members reduce CSR disclosure in family firms; unaffiliated female board directors enhance CSR disclosure, and this effect is significant in both family and non-family firms. Research limitations/implications Definitions of family firms and affiliated directors may lead to over-generalization in the results. Originality/value The study highlights variation in the nature of female board appointments in emerging market family-controlled firms. The findings bring attention to the role of affiliated female director appointments in family ownership structures and speak directly to family business owners, advisors and policy makers about the importance of unaffiliated female directors as catalysts of improved CSR disclosure in family and non-family firms.

Readability of sustainability reports: evidence from Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 621-636
Author(s):  
Desi Adhariani ◽  
Elda du Toit
Keyword(s):  
Financial Services ◽  
English Language ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Public Companies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Software Application ◽  
Flesch Reading Ease ◽  
Sustainability Reports ◽  
Market Capitalisation

PurposeThis study aimed at investigating the readability of sustainability reports in Indonesia. The Indonesian government, through the Financial Services Authority of Indonesia (Otoritas Jasa Keuangan [OJK]), has issued regulation POJK 51/2017 concerning the implementation of sustainable finance, which requires public companies to prepare sustainability reports—either stand-alone reports or parts of annual reports. Until 2017, only 30% of the top public companies in terms of market capitalisation issued the required report. Companies' decisions to provide the report stem from the greater visibility and access to resources that flow from additional narratives. However, the usefulness of such a report can be questioned.Design/methodology/approachWe used several linguistic techniques (Flesch Reading Ease [FRE], Flesch–Kincaid, and Gunning Fog measures) to evaluate the readability of sustainability reports. The analysis was performed using a software application called “Readability Studio 2015.”FindingsWe found the reports to have a low level of readability. This means that the information provided in the disclosures are very difficult to decipher and understand by the targeted users. Considering the similar levels of report readability in companies across industries, we observe a pattern of isomorphism in the way companies have implemented the same format and language construct in disclosing their sustainability information. They might apply the myth that complex language attracts investors or impresses others.Research limitations/implicationsThe techniques to measure readability that we use might not capture the whole dimensions of readability and understandability, especially in the non-English language.Practical implicationsThe results from this study can be used as evaluation tools for companies and regulators in preparing more intelligible and readable sustainability reports, as mandated by POJK 51/2017.Social implicationsSustainability reports act as a medium of accountability for a company's sustainable production and operations. Their usefulness for investors and other users often depends on the readability of the information.Originality/valueThe readability of sustainability reports in the context of Indonesia as an emerging market has not been comprehensively investigated in previous research. This study is among the first of its kind to support the quality enhancement of the reports.

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