Disclosing elements of disclosure: a test of legitimacy theory and company ethics

Lightstone, Karen; Driscoll, Cathy

doi:10.1002/cjas.50

Cited by 43 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 74 publications

(96 reference statements)

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“…The annual report has been detected as an important source of legitimation (Dyball, 1998;O'Donovan, 2002). Legitimisation can occur both through mandatory disclosures -disclosures provided in financial statements because of regulations, and voluntary disclosures provided in other sections of the annual report (Magness, 2006;Lightstone & Driscoll, 2008).…”

Section: Legitimacy Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Theories and Determinants of Voluntary Disclosure

Shehata

2014

AFR

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This paper aims to discuss the theoretical aspects of voluntary disclosure in terms of its role in the economy, the theories that are usually used through the literature to explain voluntary disclosure, its determinants, and the common sources of voluntary information disclosure. Theories related to voluntary disclosure that are commonly used through the literature include agency theory, signalling theory, capital need theory, and legitimacy theory. Determinants of voluntary disclosure fall into motivations and constraints. Finally, different sources of voluntary information disclosure are addressed clarifying why the annual reports are the most preferred source of information. The paper provides a snapshot to different parties interested in voluntary disclosure including academics and practitioners. Academics would use this paper while designing empirical voluntary disclosure research. Practitioners could probably better understand companies' behaviours towards increased or decreased voluntary information disclosure.

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Section: Legitimacy Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Theories and Determinants of Voluntary Disclosure

Shehata

2014

AFR

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“…Arndt and Bigelow, 2000) or by reactively responding to stakeholder concerns, increased scrutiny by the media, or public pressure in the wake of a corporate scandal or environmental disaster (e.g., Elsbach, 1994;Hooghiemstra, 2000;Breton and Cote, 2006;Linsley and Kajüter, 2008;Lightstone and Driscoll, 2008;O'Keefe and Conway, 2008).…”

Section: Sociology Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

A conceptual framework of impression management: new insights from psychology, sociology and critical perspectives

Merkl‐Davies¹,

Brennan²

2011

Accounting and Business Research

216

156

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In this paper we develop a conceptual framework, based on the concepts of rationality and motivation, which uses theories and empirical research from psychology/behavioural finance, sociology and critical accounting to systematise, advance and challenge research on impression management. The paper focuses on research which departs from economic concepts of impression management as opportunistic managerial discretionary disclosure behaviour resulting in reporting bias or as 'cheap talk'. Using alternative rationality assumptions, such as bounded rationality, irrationality, substantive rationality and the notion of rationality as a social construct, we conceptualise impression management in alternative ways as (i) self-serving bias, (ii) symbolic management and (iii) accounting rhetoric. This contributes to an enhanced understanding of impression management in a corporate reporting context.

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“…See Table 1 for an overview of the two perspectives. (Arndt and Bigelow, 2000), privatization and demutualization (Craig and Amernic, 2004aOdgen and Clarke, 2005), environmental disasters (Hooghiemstra, 2000), and corporate scandals (e.g., Elsbach, 1994;Craig and Amernic, 2004b;Breton and Coté, 2006;Linsley and Kajüter, 2008;Lightstone and Driscoll, 2008;O'Keefe and Conway, 2008). The focus of analysis is on the strategic use of corporate narrative documents as a means of managing audiences' perceptions of the event, thus restoring legitimacy.…”

Section: Organisational Legitimacymentioning

confidence: 99%

Using Discourse to Restore Organisational Legitimacy: ‘CEO-speak’ After an Incident in a German Nuclear Power Plant

2011

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We analyse managerial discourse in corporate communication ('CEO-speak') during a six month period following a legitimacy-threatening event in the form of an incident in a German nuclear power plant. As discourses express specific stances expressed by a group of people who share particular beliefs and values, they constitute an important means of restoring organisational legitimacy when social rules and norms have been violated. Using an analytical framework based on legitimacy as a process of reciprocal sense-making and consisting of three levels of analysis which capture the relationship between text and context, we investigate the discourse used by CEOs in their initial and subsequent accounts of the incident. We find that CEOs aim to negotiate a resolution between their initial account and organisational audiences' incongruent interpretations of the event by adopting an ad hoc normative attitude to stakeholders. This manifests itself in the strategic use of the discourse of stakeholder engagement as a means of signalling change, yet maintaining the status quo. It suggests that CEOs strategically use discourse to manufacture organisational audiences' consent regarding the continued operation of the nuclear power plant affected by the incident. Our findings contribute to the critical corporate communication literature which regards corporate narrative reporting as a means of consolidating the private interests of corporations, rather than increasing transparency and accountability.

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Disclosing elements of disclosure: a test of legitimacy theory and company ethics

Cited by 43 publications

References 74 publications

Theories and Determinants of Voluntary Disclosure

Theories and Determinants of Voluntary Disclosure

A conceptual framework of impression management: new insights from psychology, sociology and critical perspectives

Using Discourse to Restore Organisational Legitimacy: ‘CEO-speak’ After an Incident in a German Nuclear Power Plant

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