Drivers of mandatory disclosure in GCC region firms

Purpose This paper aims to investigate firm-level variations in the extent of mandatory disclosures and address the drivers of mandatory disclosure using data from the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) region. Design/methodology/approach The extent of mandatory disclosure is examined using a disclosure index created with reference to 24 International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs). Findings The authors find that the extent of mandatory disclosure required by applicable IFRSs/International Accounting Standards increases with international presence, group firms, the level of voluntary disclosure, firm age and the education level of company financial controllers. It decreases with firm size and the proportion of institutional share ownership. The degree of board independence is positively related to the level of mandatory disclosure in firms with no state ownership. Profitability positively affects the level of mandatory disclosure to a greater extent in more liquid GCC firms. The results confirm that there is a greater sensitivity of mandatory disclosure to loss than to profit. Loss increases, whilst profit decreases, the extent of mandatory disclosure. Research limitations/implications The results promote further understanding of international financial reporting differences in an emerging country setting. Practical implications The findings provide a detailed insight to investors, financial analysts, practitioners and academics. Originality/value The authors develop a highly granular mandatory disclosure index in a developing country setting and identify key drivers of such disclosure.

The Disclosure Regimen of the Federal Securities Laws

This chapter focuses on the disclosure framework of the federal securities laws. It explores the benefits as well as drawbacks of the current regimen and recommends measures that should be implemented to enhance its efficacy. Subjects addressed in this chapter include the focus of the securities laws on adequate disclosure rather than substantive fairness, the concept of materiality, the mandatory disclosure framework, the integrated disclosure system, the SEC’s dismantling of the mandatory disclosure framework in certain contexts, and the disclosure obligations placed upon publicly-held companies by the national securities exchanges. Upon analysis, significant gaps and drawbacks exist in this framework that should be remedied. The chapter thereupon proffers adaptable solutions that should meaningfully improve the disclosure regimen. Implementing these measures, including the requirement that companies (absent a meritorious business justification) promptly and adequately disclose all material information to the securities markets and investors, should enhance both market efficiency and investor protection.

Can Mandatory Disclosure Policies Promote Corporate Environmental Responsibility?—Quasi-Natural Experimental Research on China

Corporate environmental responsibility (CER) is an important component of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) report, and an important carrier for enterprises to disclose environmental protection information. Based on the corporate micro data, this paper evaluates the effect of a mandatory CSR disclosure policy on the fulfillment of corporate environmental responsibility by adopting the difference-in-differences model (DID) with the release of a mandatory disclosure policy of China in 2008 as a quasi-natural experiment. The study draws the following conclusions: First, a mandatory CSR disclosure policy can promote the fulfillment of CER. Second, after the implementation of a mandatory CSR disclosure policy, enterprises can improve their CER level through two channels: improving the quality of environmental management disclosure and increasing the number of patents. Third, the heterogeneity of the impacts of mandatory CSR disclosure on CER is reflected in three aspects: different CER levels, different corporate scales and a different property rights structure. In terms of the CER level, there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between the CER level and mandatory CSR disclosure effect. In terms of the corporate scale, mandatory disclosure of CSR plays a greater role in large-scale enterprises. In terms of the structure of property rights, mandatory CSR disclosure has a greater effect on non-state-owned enterprises.

Does Governance Affect Compliance with IFRS 7?

Although there has been considerable research on the impact of corporate governance on corporate voluntary disclosure, empirical evidence on how governance affects compliance with mandatory disclosure requirements is limited. We contribute to governance and disclosure literature by examining the impact of corporate governance on compliance with IFRS 7 for the banking sector in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). We use a self-constructed disclosure index to measure compliance with IFRS 7. We use regression analyses to examine the impact of board characteristics, audit committee characteristics and ownership structure on compliance with IFRS 7. Using a sample of 335 bank-year observations for GCC listed banks over the period 2011–2017, we report evidence that corporate governance variables affect compliance with IFRS 7. However, the significance of these variables depends on the type of the regression model used. Our findings suggest that governance matters for mandatory disclosure requirements. So to improve the level of compliance, regulators, official authorities, and policymakers should intensify their efforts toward improving corporate governance codes, following up their implementation and enhancing the enforcement mechanisms.