Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current level of voluntary corporate disclosure in the Egyptian Stock Exchange. In addition, it explores the factors influencing the extensiveness of voluntary disclosure and examines the potential consequences of such disclosure in regards to the phenomenon of earnings management. Design/methodology/approach A relevant disclosure index to the Egyptian context was adopted to assess the level of voluntary disclosure in the 2010 annual reports of the most actively traded companies listed on the Egyptian Stock Exchange. The relationship between the extent of voluntary disclosure and each specific-related factor was examined using unranked and ranked OLS regression models. Meanwhile, a system of simultaneous equations was performed using a two-stage least squares regression model in order to investigate whether companies with higher levels of voluntary disclosure exhibit lower levels of earnings management practices. Findings The results indicate that the level of voluntary disclosure is positively responsive to specific corporate attributes, namely, the type of auditing firm and the two industries of Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals, and Chemicals. However, no significant indications were found that firm size, leverage, profitability and liquidity are important determinants of corporate disclosure. Also, the results show no evidence to support the prior anticipation that a higher level of voluntary disclosure reduces the ability of managers to make use of earnings management. On the contrary, it was found that leverage and the tendency of firms to avoid reporting declines in earnings are the main drivers of the phenomenon of earnings management in Egypt. Practical implications This paper has important implications for both domestic and overseas investors in Egypt as well as the regulatory authorities in the developing economies. Originality/value The main contribution of this paper is its focus on the extent of voluntary disclosure in a developing country such as Egypt, which has a high potential for economic growth in the near future. Besides, this paper is the first to examine the relationship between the level of voluntary disclosure and the phenomenon of earnings management in the Egyptian context.

Many researchers have endeavoured to explore the factors that influence the choice of students to major in accounting. To this end, and by using the theory of reasoned action (TRA), this study contributes to the accounting education literature by providing empirical evidence on the relationship between selected intrinsic and extrinsic factors and the choice of students to major in accounting in a fast-developing country, Qatar. Using mixed methods for data collection and analysis; a questionnaire survey along with semi-structured interviews; the findings of the current study confirm the propositions of the TRA that student's decision to major in accounting is shaped by attitudinal factors (personal interests, perception of accounting education including introductory course, and the perception of job prospects), as well as subjective norms factors (influence of instructor and the social influence from family and peers).

Recent global financial scandals have led to a number of investigations into the effectiveness of corporate governance. Although evidence exists from developed economies, very scanty studies have been conducted in emerging economies where corporate governance is just evolving. The aim of this study is to provide evidence on the effectiveness of corporate governance practices and the implications for audit quality in Qatar, a fast-developing country. The paper conducts a market-based study. Data for analysis are gathered from the non-financial companies listed on the stock exchange, covering a four-year period 2013-2016. Logistic regression is used in investigating the questions that are raised in the study. Findings show that board independence, CEO duality and audit committees have a significant relationship with audit quality. The results also indicate that institutional investors and managerial ownership have no significant impact on audit quality. Furthermore, the size of the company, along with business complexity and leverage, are affecting audit quality.

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