Intellectual capital disclosure: the Portuguese case

The purpose of this research is to identify the factors that can explain practices of voluntary disclosure of information on intellectual capital (IC). This is an empirical quantitative study that seeks to examine the influence of certain firm characteristics (firm size, auditor type, ownership concentration, industry, proportion of non-executive directors (NEDs) on the board, chairman/CEO duality and audit committee) on intellectual capital disclosure (ICD) in Portuguese companies. ICD data for this longitudinal study were gathered from the annual reports of 32 Portuguese listed firms over 5 years using content analysis. The results of this study indicate that firm size and industry are explanatory factors of the level of disclosure of information on intellectual capital. One of the limitations of the empirical part of the study derives from choosing the content analysis method because it is subject to the subjectivity of interpretation. Another limitation is the small sample size and the application only to Portugal which reduces the ability to generalize the results to other settings. This study contributes to the IC literature, providing new empirical data covering the analysis of 5 years of disclosure related to corporate governance.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Corporate social reporting and board representation: evidence from the Kenyan banking sector

Corporate social reporting, Kenya, Banks, Board representation,

Corporate governance and intellectual capital reporting in a period of financial crisis: evidence from Portugal

This paper uses an analytical frame comprised of agency theory and a resource based perspective to explore the influence of boards of directors on listed companies’ voluntary disclosure of information concerning intellectual capital [IC]. The IC disclosures in 75 published company reports of 15 listed Portuguese companies in a five year period of financial crisis, 2007 to 2011, are investigated using content analysis and regression techniques. IC disclosures are found to increase with company size, dual corporate governance models, industry, listing on sustainability indexes, and increases in board size up to a maximum point (beyond which disclosures decrease). IC disclosures are reduced by CEO duality and by a higher proportion of independent directors on boards. The year of reporting is not significant, suggesting that the period of financial crisis did not influence the level of IC disclosures. The evidence adduced is consistent with a view that highly visible companies acknowledge the importance of IC disclosures in maintaining their reputation and competitive advantage, even during a period of financial crisis. This paper highlights the need for caution in believing that adding extra directors to an existing board will lead to improved disclosure outcomes. Additionally, given the token number of females appointed to boards currently, the Portuguese capital market regulator should consider enforcing measures to ensure compliance with EU objectives.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Influence of Board Structure on GRI-Based Sustainability Reporting: Evidence from Turkish Listed Companies

The primary objective of this study is to test the link between board structure and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI)-based sustainability reporting. Using a logistic regression model that included a sample of the 64 largest companies listed on Borsa Istanbul (BIST), the Turkish stock exchange, we determined that the board size as well as the existence of a board committee (i.e., corporate social responsibility, environmental or sustainability committee) is significantly and positively related to GRI-based sustainability reporting. However, to our surprise, we also determined that companies with national diverse boards are less likely to publish GRI-based sustainability reports. Further, our findings revealed that board independence and board gender diversity are not significant predictors of GRI reporting. The overall findings of this study imply that the board structure occupies a limited role in determining corporate decisions with respect to sustainability reporting practices. This research contributes to the literature by enhancing our understanding of the association between board structure and sustainability reporting in a developing country, namely Turkey. Further, it contributes to the literature by empirically investigating the relationship between board diversity and GRI-based sustainability reporting, which has been rarely examined in prior research