Fatores determinantes da evolução das informações divulgadas no relatório da administração das empresas brasileiras de capital aberto

Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Programa Multi-Institucional e Inter-Regional de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Contábeis, 2012.O Relatório da Administração (RA) é um documento publicado pelas companhias abertas de conteúdo flexível, no qual a administração divulga informações acerca da conjuntura econômica, do seu desempenho, dos investimentos, da estrutura de capital, entre outras. Segundo alguns estudos, o RA é um dos documentos mais utilizados pelos usuários em geral para avaliar o desempenho das empresas (por exemplo, SPRINGER, 1992; ROGERS; GRANT, 1997; YUTHAS; ROGERS; DILLARD, 2002, DALMÁCIO; PAULO, 2004; SILVA; RODRIGUES, 2010). Portanto, entende-se que o seu texto facilita a leitura e interpretação da realidade das empresas, sendo, nesse sentido, um instrumento de grande valor para os investidores e demais usuários. Esse estudo identifica quais são os fatores determinantes que têm influenciado a evolução das informações divulgadas nos Relatórios da Administração das companhias abertas brasileiras do período de 1997 a 2010. Para isso, foram analisados os RA de 130 empresas (aproximadamente 71% da população), utilizando-se de três técnicas de investigação: análise de conteúdo, análise do formato e análise da legibilidade. Os resultados apresentados pelas análises de legibilidade foram: (1) os RA variam de níveis de legibilidade que vão 2 a 94, significando que os relatórios que vão de “muito difícil” a “muito fácil” leitura; (2) como a média apresentou score entre 30-50, pode-se concluir que “em média” os relatórios são de difícil leitura. Quanto à análise de formato, pode-se concluir que: (1) os Relatórios variaram de uma quantidade mínima de 23 palavras, em 1998, até 22.879, em 2009; (2) das 130 empresas, oito divulgaram RA contendo apenas uma única frase; (3) em 1997, 35 empresas (26,92%) apresentaram RA contendo até 10 frases. Em 2010, 34 empresas apresentaram essa característica, concluindo-se que não houve grande melhora nesse quesito; (4) verificou-se, ainda, que existem relatórios que não apresentaram nenhum recurso visual e outros relatórios com um total máximo de 82 gráficos ou tabelas; (5) finalmente, com o passar dos anos, em média, as empresas vêm aumentando o volume de informações (letras e palavras) e de gráficos e tabelas divulgados nos relatórios da Administração. Com relação à análise de conteúdo, os assuntos mais divulgados nos RA foram Reforma da Administração e Descrição de Negócios. Foram formuladas oito hipóteses, e conclui-se que: as hipóteses 1 e 2, de que, com o passar do tempo e em virtude da complexidade do mercado, os RA estão se tornando mais difíceis de serem lidos, e de que existe diferença estatística significante entre o nível de legibilidade e o segmento econômico da empresa foram totalmente refutadas; partes das hipóteses 3, de que com o passar do tempo, os RA estão apresentando maior diversidade de assuntos; e da hipótese 4, que empresas com alto endividamento tendem a apresentar mais frases sobre conjuntura econômica, foram corroboradas; e as hipóteses 5, de que existe relação entre as variáveis de conjuntura econômica e as informações divulgadas pelas empresas sobre cenário; 6, de que empresas de maior porte e menor nível de endividamento, assim como o tempo e a complexidade do mercado, tendem a apresentar relatórios mais volumosos, ou seja, com mais palavras; 7, de que, com o tempo e a complexidade do mercado, as empresas tendem a apresentar mais recursos visuais em seus relatórios; e 8, de que o tamanho do relatório de uma empresa está relacionado com o tamanho do relatório de uma empresa concorrente, foram corroboradas, demonstrando a existência de padrões que influenciaram na divulgação de informações do RA, no período analisado. _______________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTA Management Report (MR) is a document with flexible content published by open companies, in which the administration divulges information on its economic conjuncture, on its performance, investments, and financial structure, among others. According to studies, the MR is one of the documents more often utilized by user in general to evaluate the companies’ performance (for example SPRINGER, 1992; ROGERS; GRANT, 1997; YUTHAS; ROGERS; DILLARD, 2002, DALMÁCIO; PAULO, 2004; SILVA; RODRIGUES, 2010). Thus, it is understood that its contents facilitate the interpretation of the companies’ reality, being, therefore a valuable tool to investors and other users. This study identifies what the determining factors that have influenced the evolution of the information disclosed in the Management Reports of Brazilian open companies in the period dating from 1997 to 2010. For this a study was conducted of the MR of 130 companies (which represents 71% of the population, approximately) and three investigation techniques were utilized: content analysis, format analysis and legibility analysis. The results presented by the legibility analysis were: (1) the MR vary in legibility levels varying form 2 to 94, which means that there are reports that range from “very difficult” to “very easy” to read; (2) as the average fell between 30 and 50, it can be concluded that, on average, the reports are difficult to read. As for format analysis, it can be concluded that: (1) Reports vary between a minimum word count of 23 words, in 1998, to 22,879, in 2009; (2) of the 130 companies, eight disclosed an MR containing a single sentence; (3) in 1997, 35 companies (26,92%) published MR containing up to 10 sentences. In 2010, 34 companies presented this characteristic, which leads to the conclusion that there was no significant improvement in this item; (4) it was verified, besides that, that there are reports ranging from no visual resources to reports with a maximum total of 82 graphics or charts; (5) finally, with time, on average, companies have been increasing the amount of information (characters and words) and of graphics and tables disclosed in the MR. In relation to content analysis, the topics most often discussed in the MR were Management Reform and Business Description. Eight hypotheses were researched and it was concluded that hypotheses 1 and 2, that with time and with the complexity of the market, the MR are becoming more difficult to read, and that there is a statistical difference between the level of legibility and the economic segment to which the company belong were completely refuted; part of the third hypothesis, that with time the MR are presenting a wider spectrum of topics, and of the fourth hypothesis, that companies deeper in debt tend to present more sentences about economic conjuncture were corroborated; and the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth hypotheses that there is a correlation between the economic variables and the information disclosed by the company; that larger companies with smaller debts, as well as time and the complexity of the market, tend to present more extensive reports, with a larger number of words; and that with time and the complexity of the market the companies have a tendency to present more visual aids in their reports; and that the size of a company’s report is connected to the size of a competing company were corroborated, which demonstrates an existence of patterns that have influenced the disclosure of information in the MR, in the period analyzed

Análise das variáveis que influenciam as informações divulgadas nos relatórios da administração das companhias abertas brasileiras : um estudo empírico nos anos de 2001 a 2003

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Programa Multi-Institucional e Inter-Regional de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Contábeis, 2005.O Relatório da Administração (RA) é um relatório narrativo, no qual a empresa tem certa liberdade de apresentar notícias da empresa. Pesquisas empíricas realizadas com o intuito de verificar o grau de utilidade, transparência e confiabilidade destes relatórios demonstraram que estes são utilizados para decisões de investimento; entretanto, verificou-se também que estes relatórios são influenciados pelo viés da administração, na medida em que esta apresenta as informações segundo os seus interesses. O estudo analisa os Relatórios da Administração extraídos da base de dados da CVM do ano de 2001 a 2003 e verifica se existe relação entre estes e o desempenho financeiro das companhias. Os resultados encontrados mostram que o Relatório da Administração possui informação relevante sobre as companhias analisadas, porém observa-se a existência de um certo viés nas informações divulgadas neste relatório, sendo que este pode prejudicar a análise dos usuários, ou mesmo distorcer a percepção dos investidores. Percebe-se que a administração parece apresentar o cenário econômico de forma pessimista, assim como quem culpa o ambiente econômico por seu desempenho inferior ao esperado. Da mesma forma, os relatórios destas empresas também tendem a apresentar mais frases sobre perspectivas futuras. E outra observação que se pode obter é que a administração tende a ser otimista ao apresentar suas reformas, como quem recebe os méritos pelo trabalho desenvolvido.Management Discussion & Analyses - MD&A is a narrative report where the company has some degree of freedom to present news related to the company. Empirical research intended to verify the level of utility, transparency and reliability of those reports has shown that they are observed in the investment decision-making process. However, it was also evidenced that those reports are influenced by management's bias as they present information according to their interests. The study analyses MD&A extracted from Comissão de Valores Mobiliários - CVM 2001 to 2003 database and verifies the existence of a relationship between those reports and the financial results of the companies. The results show that the MD&A carry relevant information about the analyzed companies, but nevertheless a propensity is noted on the information released on this report which can impair stakeholder's analyses, or even distort investors' perception. It was also perceived that the administration seems to present the economic environment in a pessimistic tone, in a way as to blame the economic environment for not performing as expected. In the same way, the MD&A of those companies are also inclined to use more sentences about the future perspective. Another evidence that can be noted is that the management tends to be optimistic while presenting its prospects, as an appraisal for the job well done

Structural and functional measures of invertebrate and fungal communities as predictors of eutrophication

To assess how eutrophication affects leaf-litter decomposition and the associated biota in streams, we examined i) the structure of invertebrate and fungal communities and ii) leaf mass loss of different plant species. Leaves of alder, chestnut, eucalyptus, plane tree and oak were placed in coarse-mesh bags and immersed in 6 low-order streams along an eutrophication gradient during 38 days. Additional benthic invertebrate samples were collected with a hand-net. The values of the IBMWP biotic index applied to benthic invertebrates increased from low to intermediate levels of eutrophication and then dropped sharply at high and very high levels of eutrophication. Cluster analysis applied to leaf-associated invertebrate and fungal communities separated the streams according to the eutrophication level. The % of shredders on leaves decreased, whereas the % of oligochaetes increased along the eutrophication gradient. Invertebrate biomass and density, as well as fungal biomass and reproduction increased along the eutrophication gradient, but decreased in the most eutrophic stream. Alder leaves decomposed faster than other leaf species. A hump-shaped relationship was established between leaf mass loss and the eutrophication gradient for all leaf species, suggesting that leaf decomposition is a valuable tool to assess changes in stream water quality. Results suggested that both structural and functional measures of invertebrate and fungal communities are good predictors of stream eutrophication when assessing the ecological integrity of streams.FEDER-POFC-COMPETE and FCT supported this study (PEst-C/BIA/UI4050/2011 and PTDC/AAC-AMB/117068/2010) and IF (SFRH/BD/42215/2007)Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - PEst-C/BIA/UI4050/2011, PTDC/AAC-AMB/117068/2010, SFRH/BD/42215/200

Effects of nutrient enrichment and riparian vegetation on litter decomposition in streams

The Portuguese Foundation for the Science and Technology supported I Fernandes (SFRH/BD/42215/2007

Plant-litter decomposition by microbes increases with temperature and nutrient load in streams

We examined the interactive effects of temperature and inorganic nutrients on leaf decomposition and activity of the associated microbes in streams. Leaves of alder and oak were immersed for 10 d in a stream (NW Portugal) to allow microbial colonization, and then were exposed in microcosms to N-NO3 (90-5000 μg/L; 6 levels) and P-PO4 (3-300 μg/L; 3 levels), alone or in all possible combinations. One set of microcosms was kept at 12ºC, a temperature typically found in autumn, and the other set at 18ºC to simulate a warming scenario. Leaf mass loss was higher for alder compared to oak, but fungal biomass was higher on oak leaves. This may be due to the transfer of fungal carbon from biomass into reproduction, because maximum fungal sporulation on alder leaves was one order of magnitude higher than on oak leaves. N immobilization in alder leaves was higher than in oak leaves and increased with N concentration and temperature in the stream water for both leaf types. Leaf mass loss and fungal biomass increased asymptotically with N concentration in the stream water (Michaelis-Menten kinetic), but P had no significant effect. For both leaf types, leaf decomposition and fungal biomass were higher at 18ºC. The increase in temperature led to a decrease of the N concentration needed to achieve half of maximum fungal biomass and sporulation (km) on both leaf types, and km values were higher for oak than for alder leaves. This suggests that, under the predicted warming scenario, maximum fungal biomass and reproduction may be attained at lower nutrient concentrations, which may result in faster leaf decomposition in streams with lower nutrient levels.FEDER-POFC-COMPETEFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - PEst-C/BIA/UI4050/2011, PTDC/CLI/67180/2006, SFRH/BD/42215/200