An examination of the comprehensiveness of corporate Internet reporting provided by London-listed companies

Omneya H. Abdelsalam, S Bryant, D Street

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Recent changes in the regulatory environment of the London Stock Exchange are aimed at prohibiting selective disclosure and enhancing the credibility of reporting. Using an innovative 143-item disclosure checklist, we examine corporate Internet reporting (CIR) comprehensiveness and its determinants within this new regulatory environment. We also extend the literature linking corporate governance measures to CIR. Our findings indicate that despite this new regulatory environment, there is considerable room for improvement in CIR by London-listed companies. For example, our sample companies provide only 58 percent and 70 percent, respectively, of the credibility and usability items assessed by our comprehensiveness index. After controlling for size, profitability, industry, and high growth/ intangibles, we find the CIR comprehensiveness of London-listed companies is associated with analyst following, director holding, director independence, and CEO duality. Because prior research indicates the U.K. leads Europe in Internet reporting, our results may shed light on how CIR will evolve throughout Europe.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-33
Number of pages33
JournalJournal of International Accounting Research
Volume6
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2007

Keywords

  • corporate Internet reporting
  • credibility of reporting
  • selective disclosure
  • timeliness of reporting
  • usability of Internet disclosures
  • voluntary disclosure

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