Corporate governance disclosure: Empirical evidence in the Portuguese capital market

Abstract

The corporate governance theme has been a subject of great debate due to the financial scandals of recent years. However, it is currently seen as a key factor for the success of organizations. This is because of the strong evolution that it has undergone over the years and the increase in financial market demands. Corporate governance is also seen as a crucial component in strengthening investor confidence. According to the literature, good corporate governance allows for the achievement of a degree of trust necessary for the proper functioning of a market. Currently, good corporate governance practices contribute to attracting investors, increasing stakeholder confidence, raising a company's reputation, and increasing business transparency among other benefits. The present study aims to analyse corporate governance disclosure in companies listed on Euronext Lisbon in 2020. To achieve this aim, we perform a content analysis of the corporate governance and annual reports as well as the consolidated annual accounts of a sample comprising 32 companies listed on Euronext Lisbon as at 31st December 2020. To analyse the extent of disclosure, a disclosure index is created based on the recommendations of the Portuguese Securities Market Commission; this makes it possible to measure the degree of compliance with recommended disclosures. Only disclosures related to the board of directors, the audit committee, the external auditor, and the statutory auditor are considered. The average value of the disclosure index is 0.977, with the most disclosed information related to the statutory auditor and the least disclosed related to the audit committee. This study contributes to a good understanding of corporate governance in the Portuguese context.