Introduction - Sustainability reporting is becoming more and more important for businesses all around the world. Extant empirical literature investigating the relationship between family status and sustainability reporting provides inconclusive results. No previous studies investigated this association in the Swedish setting. Purpose - The purpose of this study is to investigate how family control and influence affects sustainability reporting behavior of Swedish listed firms. Theoretical framework – Sustainability disclosures are considered as effective means for companies to communicate with their stakeholders. Family firms are more concerned about their internal and external stakeholders in order to protect family’s socioemotional endowments. Methodology design – We use panel data on Swedish listed firms over the period of 2008-2015. We analyze data with random-effects ordered probit regression for panel data. Empirical findings - When we treat all family firms as homogenous, there are no statistically significant differences in the levels of reports of family and non-family firms. However, when we take into account internal contexts of family firms, we find that a family member(s) in top management or a family CEO make family firms more transparent about their sustainability performance. Conclusion – We document that presence of a family top manager(s) or of a family CEO is associated with higher level of details of sustainability reports. Family top managers are more likely to be concerned about internal and external stakeholders to preserve the family’s SEW.

The preoperational stage of a new venture is characterized by concept definition, idea enhancement, and strategy formulation. Entrepreneurs consult advisors in knowledge sharing activities. Trust is dominant in these entrepreneur-advisor relationships as entrepreneurs rely on an advisor's judgment to keep venture ideas away from competitors. However, the relationships between trust, knowledge sharing, and knowledge security during the preoperational stage of a new high-tech venture are not directly examined in many research studies. Concerning types of trust, McAllister (1995) defines two types of interpersonal trust: affective trust, which develops from emotional bonds between individuals, and calculative trust, which is based on an individual's level of competence and reliability. The present study applies McAllister's (1995) theory of types of trust to Kale, Singh, and Perlmutter (2000) findings to examine how trust relationships between entrepreneurs and advisors affect knowledge sharing and an entrepreneur's use of NDAs. This dissertation's research primary question is, "How does trust between an entrepreneur and advisors affect knowledge sharing and choices of knowledge security mechanisms during the preoperational stage of a new high-tech venture?" I used de Koning and Muzyka's (1999) classification of the entrepreneur's social context to define three advisor types: Close Friends, Business Associates, and Licensed Professionals. Linking these types with literature on trust and knowledge, I hypothesize seven relationships dealing with trust, knowledge sharing, and knowledge security. I used structured and non-structured interview formats to collect data on 143 entrepreneur/advisor relationships in South Florida. / The results confirmed that relationship length significantly contributed to affective trust and entrepreneurs were more likely to share knowledge with Business Associates than with Close Friends or Licen found t o be the dominant form of trust driving knowledge sharing but affective trust was not significantly found to impact the use of NDAs. Entrepreneurs expected all advisor types to be competent, experienced, and skilled, reporting nonsignificant differences in calculative trust across advisor types. I did not find the use of NDAs to be associated with any particular advisor type. Rather, NDAs were seldom used during the preoperational stage for reasons such as the entrepreneurs' desires to maintain positive relationships with advisors, along with their reliance on a strong institutional background. / by Abiola Omoyeni Fanimokun. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

O presente estudo investiga qual o efeito que a divulgação de empresas solidárias apoiadoras e da remuneração de dirigentes de Organizações Sem Fins Lucrativos (OSFL) possui na decisão sobre o volume de contribuição e na propensão de doar futuramente por parte do doador individual. O estudo é consubstanciado em pesquisas desenvolvidas por Balsam e Harris (2014) e de Galle e Walker (2013) que encontraram evidências de que doadores reduzem as contribuições subsequente à divulgação, por parte da OSFL, de alta remuneração do dirigente; e, em pesquisa desenvolvida no Brasil por IDIS e Gallup (2016), que relatam a falta de confiança como um dos principais motivos para que doadores deixem de contribuir para as OSFL. Este estudo pressupõe que, divulgar empresas solidárias apoiadoras da OSFL gera compliance, um dos principais elementos de influência social citado por Cialdini e Trost (1998) sobre o doador, levando-o a perceber a OSFL como monitorada e, com maior confiança de que a organização cumpre a missão social para a qual se destina, reduzindo o efeito adverso ocasionado da divulgação pela própria OSFL de valores elevados de remuneração do dirigente. O procedimento metodológico para coleta de dados ocorreu por meio de um experimento, com 140 participantes estudantes de pós-graduação lato sensu em Ciências Contábeis da Universidade Federal do Paraná. Encontraram-se evidências de que o disclosure voluntário pela OSFL de empresa solidária apoiadora possui efeito positivo significativo na propensão de contribuição futura do doador individual, assim como o disclosure da remuneração do dirigente e da empresa solidária apoiadora, de forma interativa, conduz à maior probabilidade de doação futura pelo doador individual. Esperava-se que a divulgação da empresa solidária apoiadora apenas, ou essa em conjunto com a informação de menor remuneração do dirigente gerassem maiores volumes de contribuições pelo doador, contudo, não foram obtidas evidências empíricas que suportem as referidas hipóteses. Os achados também não confirmaram a hipótese de que, divulgados maiores valores da remuneração do dirigente seriam reduzidos o volume de contribuição e a propensão de doação futura. Os resultados implicam que a divulgação da empresa solidária apoiadora pela OSFL suscita uma resposta por parte do doador em relação à probabilidade de doar futuramente em consonância à comunicação explícita da organização, neste caso a solicitação de doação, possivelmente ocorrendo o compliance como forma de influência social de direcionamento pela figura de autoridade legítima exercida pela empresa solidária apoiadora. Isto ocorre inclusive quando a divulgação é realizada em conjunto com a remuneração do dirigente, indicando a relevância do disclosure voluntário por parte das OSFL na captação de recursos. Desta forma, este estudo amplia os conhecimentos sobre o disclosure voluntário em OSFL, principalmente relacionado à divulgação da empresa solidária apoiadora como fonte de autoridade legítima e do efeito de compliance sobre o doador individual. / This study investigates the effect of disclosure of Influential Institutional Partners and senior management\'s compensation on individuals\' decisions to donate for non-profit organizations (NPOs). Prior research (Balsam & Harris, 2014; Galle & Walker, 2013) indicate that donors reduce donations after the disclosure of senior manager\'s high compensation by the NPOs, and in the Brazilian setting (IDIS & Gallup, 2016), lack of trust is one of the main reported reasons for donors to stop contributions for NPOs. Based on the literature on social influence, this study argues that the Influential Institutional Partner\'s disclosure increases the donors\' compliance with the NPOs (Cialdini & Trost, 1998). This behaviour should lead donors to conclude that the NPO is an entity under monitoring, and drive higher trust that the organization reaches the social mission for which it is intended, reducing the adverse effect caused by the disclosure of senior management\'s high compensation. The experimental is conducted with 140 graduate accounting students at the Federal University of Parana (UFPR). The results indicate that NPOs voluntary disclosure has a significant positive effect on the individual donors\' propensity of future donations, as does, interactively, the disclosure of senior management\' compensation and of the Influential Institutional Partners. However, no empirical evidence was found supporting the main or interactive effects of disclosure of Influential Institutional Partners and senior management\'s compensation on donors contribution\'s amount. Findings also did not confirm that disclosure of senior management\'s higher compensation result in lower propensity of future donations by individual donors. The results imply that the Influential Institutional Partner\'s disclosure by NPOs drives a response from donors with respect to the probability of making future donations in accordance with explicit communications by the organization, leading to the compliance as a form of social influence, exerted by the legitimate authority figure represented by the Influential Institutional Partner. This also happen when the disclosure is made in conjunction with senior management\'s compensation, indicating the relevance of the NPO\'s voluntary disclosure in fundraising. This study broadens the knowledge on voluntary disclosure by NPOs, in particular about the Influential Institutional Partner\' disclosure as a source of legitimate authority, and the effect of compliance on individual donors.

University of Macau / Faculty of Business Administration. / Department of Accounting and Information Management

Ma Yue. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 31-36). / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

by Wong Kar Shun. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 252-164). / Abstract also in Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.i / PREFACE --- p.ii / Chapter chapter i --- introduction / Chapter 1.1 --- Research Questions and Objectives --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Background of Study --- p.3 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- The Importance of Corporate Disclosures --- p.3 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- The Nature of Corporate Disclosures in Hong Kong --- p.5 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- A Brief Review of Previous Empirical Voluntary Disclosure Studies --- p.9 / Chapter 1.2.3.1 --- Agency-Theory Based Studies --- p.10 / Chapter 1.2.4 --- Corporate Governance and Voluntary Disclosures --- p.15 / Chapter 1.3 --- Research Model and Hypotheses --- p.19 / Chapter 1.4 --- Research Approach and Design --- p.23 / Chapter 1.4.1 --- The Postal Survey --- p.24 / Chapter 1.4.2 --- Annual Reports --- p.24 / Chapter 1.4.3 --- Variables Measurement --- p.25 / Chapter 1.4.3.1 --- The Measurement of Dependent Variables --- p.25 / Chapter 1.4.3.2 --- The Measurement of Independent Variables --- p.27 / Chapter 1.4.4 --- Data Analysis --- p.30 / Chapter 1.5 --- Justifications of the Study --- p.30 / Chapter 1.6 --- Significance and Potential Contributions of the Study --- p.32 / Chapter 1.7 --- Organization of the Thesis --- p.35 / Chapter chapter ii --- literature review on corporate disclosure / Chapter 2.1 --- Scope of Review --- p.36 / Chapter 2.2 --- Theoretical Literature Review on Corporate and Voluntary Disclosure --- p.38 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Overview --- p.38 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- The Agency theory of Disclosure --- p.39 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Signaling Theory --- p.42 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Contingency Theory --- p.45 / Chapter 2.2.5 --- Capital Need Theory --- p.46 / Chapter 2.2.6 --- Proprietary Cost Theory --- p.47 / Chapter 2.2.7 --- Other Theories or Justifications for Corporate and Voluntary Disclosure --- p.48 / Chapter 2.2.8 --- Conclusion of Disclosure Theories --- p.49 / Chapter 2.3 --- Empirical Literature Review of Corporate Disclosure --- p.50 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Corporate Disclosure Surveys --- p.50 / Chapter 2.3.1.1 --- The Usefulness and Information Value of Annual Reports as Perceived by External Users --- p.51 / Chapter 2.3.1.2 --- External Users' Information Requirements --- p.54 / Chapter 2.3.1.3 --- Corporate Preparers' Attitudes to Disclosure / Comparison of the Perceptions between Preparers and Users --- p.55 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- A Review of the Empirical Disclosure Studies --- p.59 / Chapter 2.3.2.1 --- Introduction --- p.59 / Chapter 2.3.2.2 --- The Independent Variables Used in Empirical Disclosure Studies --- p.60 / Chapter 2.3.2.2.1 --- "Agency Theory, Signaling Theory and Political Cost Related Variables" --- p.60 / Chapter 2.3.2.2.1.1 --- Firm Size --- p.60 / Chapter 2.3.2.2.1.2 --- Listing Status --- p.62 / Chapter 2.3.2.2.1.3 --- Raising Capital --- p.62 / Chapter 2.3.2.2.1.4 --- Assets-in-Place --- p.63 / Chapter 2.3.2.2.1.5 --- Leverage --- p.64 / Chapter 2.3.2.2.1.6 --- Size of Auditor --- p.64 / Chapter 2.3.2.2.1.7 --- Industry Type --- p.65 / Chapter 2.3.2.2.1.8 --- Ownership Structure --- p.66 / Chapter 2.3.2.2.1.9 --- Independent Non-executive Directors --- p.66 / Chapter 2.3.2.2.2 --- Proprietary Cost Variables --- p.67 / Chapter 2.3.2.2.3 --- Contingency Variables --- p.68 / Chapter 2.3.2.3 --- The Dependent Variables Used in Disclosure Studies --- p.69 / Chapter 2.3.2.3.1 --- Disclosure Index Studies --- p.69 / Chapter 2.3.2.3.2 --- Specific Disclosure Choice Studies --- p.75 / Chapter 2.4 --- Chapter Summary --- p.79 / Chapter chapter iii --- literature review on corporate governance / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.81 / Chapter 3.2 --- Theoretical Literature Review on Corporate Governance --- p.81 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- The Definition and Scope of Corporate Governance --- p.81 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- The Theoretical Context of Corporate Governance --- p.83 / Chapter 3.2.2.1 --- Agency Theory of Corporate Governance --- p.84 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- The Evolution and Functions of Various Corporate Governance Structures --- p.86 / Chapter 3.2.3.1 --- The Board of Directors --- p.86 / Chapter 3.2.3.2 --- Independent Non-Executive Directors --- p.88 / Chapter 3.2.3.3 --- Board Committees --- p.88 / Chapter 3.2.3.3.1 --- Audit Committee --- p.90 / Chapter 3.2.3.3.2 --- Remuneration Committee --- p.90 / Chapter 3.2.3.3.3 --- Non-executive Chairman --- p.91 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Corporate Governance Movement in Various Parts of the World --- p.92 / Chapter 3.2.4.1 --- Corporate Governance in U.K --- p.92 / Chapter 3.2.4.2 --- Corporate Governance in the USA --- p.94 / Chapter 3.2.4.3 --- Corporate Governance in Continental Europe --- p.94 / Chapter 3.2.4.4 --- Corporate Governance in the Far East --- p.95 / Chapter 3.2.4.4.1 --- Corporate Governance in China --- p.95 / Chapter 3.2.4.4.2 --- Other Asian Countries --- p.96 / Chapter 3.2.4.4.3 --- Corporate Governance in Hong Kong --- p.96 / Chapter 3.3 --- Empirical Literature Review of Corporate Governance --- p.99 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Corporate Governance Surveys --- p.99 / Chapter 3.3.1.1 --- Price Waterhouse Survey in 1995 --- p.99 / Chapter 3.3.1.2 --- HKSA's surveys in 1995 and 1997 --- p.102 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- The Effectiveness of Corporate Governance on Firm Performance --- p.104 / Chapter 3.3.2.1 --- Independent Non-executive Directors --- p.105 / Chapter 3.3.2.2 --- Ownership structure --- p.106 / Chapter 3.4 --- Chapter Summary --- p.106 / Chapter chapter iv --- hypotheses development / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.108 / Chapter 4.2 --- The Research Model I: The Relationship between Corporate Governance / Specific Firm Attributes and the Extent of Voluntary Disclosures --- p.109 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Corporate Governance Structures Variables --- p.111 / Chapter 4.2.1.1 --- The Ratio of Independent Non-executive Directors to Total Directors on Board (INDs) --- p.111 / Chapter 4.2.1.2 --- The Existence of Audit Committee --- p.113 / Chapter 4.2.1.3 --- The Existence of Dominant Personality --- p.114 / Chapter 4.2.1.4 --- The Percentage of Family Members on Board --- p.115 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Corporate Ownership Structures --- p.116 / Chapter 4.2.2.1 --- Family's Share Ownership --- p.116 / Chapter 4.2.2.2 --- Concentration of Share Ownership / The Existence of a Non-director Dominant Shareholder (s) --- p.117 / Chapter 4.2.2.3 --- Directors' Personal Share Ownership --- p.119 / Chapter 4.2.2.4 --- Independent Non-executive Directors' Personal Share / Chapter 4.2.2.5 --- Ownership --- p.120 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Controlling Variables --- p.121 / Chapter 4.2.3.1 --- Firm Size --- p.121 / Chapter 4.2.3.2 --- Assets-in-Place --- p.122 / Chapter 4.2.3.3 --- Financial Leverage --- p.123 / Chapter 4.2.3.4 --- Profitability --- p.123 / Chapter 4.2.3.3 --- Industry Type --- p.124 / Chapter 4.2.3.6 --- Excluded Variables --- p.125 / Chapter 4.3 --- Research Model II (The Relationship between Disclosure Strategy adopted by firms and Corporate Governance/Specific Firm Attributes) --- p.126 / Chapter 4.4 --- Chapter Summary --- p.126 / Chapter chapter v --- research methodology and design / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.129 / Chapter 5.2 --- The Research Approach --- p.129 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- The Postal Survey --- p.130 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- The Empirical Testing of Hypotheses --- p.130 / Chapter 5.3 --- Survey Design and Data Collection --- p.131 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- The Development of the Survey Instrument --- p.131 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Pilot Study --- p.132 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Questionnaire Contents --- p.133 / Chapter 5.3.4 --- Sample of Main Survey --- p.136 / Chapter 5.3.5 --- Questionnaire Distribution and Response Rate --- p.136 / Chapter 5.3.6 --- Testing for Non-Response Bias --- p.139 / Chapter 5.3.7 --- Characteristics of Sample Preparer Firms --- p.139 / Chapter 5.3.8 --- Respondent Titles --- p.141 / Chapter 5.4 --- The Measurement of the Research Models --- p.143 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- The Measurement of Variables in the First Research Model --- p.143 / Chapter 5.4.1.1 --- The Measurement of the Dependent Variable --- p.143 / Chapter 5.4.1.2 --- The Measurement of the Independent Variables --- p.144 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- The Measurement of Variables in the Second Research Model --- p.146 / Chapter 5.4.2.1 --- The Measurement of the Dependent Variables --- p.146 / Chapter 5.4.2.2 --- The Measurement of the Independent Variable --- p.146 / Chapter 5.5 --- Data Analysis Tools --- p.147 / Chapter 5.5.1 --- Descriptive Analysis of the Survey Data --- p.147 / Chapter 5.5.2 --- Multivariate Analysis --- p.148 / Chapter 5.6 --- Summary --- p.156 / Chapter chapter vi --- field survey findings / Chapter 6.1 --- Introduction --- p.151 / Chapter 6.2 --- "Analysts Users' Perceived Importance, Attributes and Usage Behaviour of Annual Reports" --- p.152 / Chapter 6.2.1 --- Major Sources of Corporate Communication --- p.152 / Chapter 6.2.2 --- Attributes of Annual Reports (vs Other Source of Information) --- p.154 / Chapter 6.2.3 --- Preparers' Perceived Importance of Different Types of Annual Report Users --- p.155 / Chapter 6.2.4 --- Number and Time Spent on Reading Annual Reports by Users --- p.157 / Chapter 6.2.5 --- Extent of Usage of Various Types of Information in the Annual Reports by Users --- p.158 / Chapter 6.3 --- Disclosure Process and Strategy --- p.160 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- The Extent that Users' Information Needs are Considered as a Top Priority in the Disclosure Process --- p.160 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- Disclosure Strategy/Process of Firms --- p.161 / Chapter 6.3.3 --- External Factors Affecting Corporate Disclosure Strategy --- p.164 / Chapter 6.3.4 --- Internal Participants Affecting Corporate Disclosure Strategy --- p.166 / Chapter 6.3.5 --- Impact of Corporate Governance Structures on Corporate Disclosures Strategy --- p.167 / Chapter 6.4 --- Costs/Benefits and Importance of Different Voluntary Disclosure Items Perceived by Preparers and Users --- p.169 / Chapter 6.4.1 --- Benefits of Voluntary Disclosure --- p.171 / Chapter 6.4.2 --- Costs of Voluntary Disclosure --- p.172 / Chapter 6.4.3 --- Net Benefits and Costs of Voluntary Disclosure --- p.173 / Chapter 6.4.4 --- Perceived Importance of Different Types of Voluntary Disclosure Items by Users --- p.176 / Chapter 6.5 --- Preparers' and Users' Perceptions of Capital Market Functioning and the Effectiveness of Corporate Disclosure --- p.178 / Chapter 6.5.1 --- The Short Term/Long Term Efficiency of Hong Kong Capital Market --- p.178 / Chapter 6.5.2 --- The Impression of Share Values --- p.179 / Chapter 6.5.3 --- The Qualitative Characteristics of Financial Reportingin Hong Kong --- p.180 / Chapter 6.5.4 --- The Existence of Communication Gap and its Impact on Share Values --- p.182 / Chapter 6.5.5 --- Adequacy and Effectiveness of Current Corporate Disclosure in Hong Kong --- p.183 / Chapter 6.5.6 --- The Need of More Disclosure Requirements and Types of Information Disclosures --- p.185 / Chapter 6.6 --- Summary --- p.188 / Chapter chapter vii --- hypothesis testing / Chapter 7.1 --- Introduction --- p.190 / Chapter 7.2 --- Descriptive Analysis of the Variables in the Research Model --- p.190 / Chapter 7.3 --- Test for the First Research Model (Extent of Voluntary Disclosures as the Dependent Variable) --- p.195 / Chapter 7.2.1 --- Bivariate Analysis --- p.195 / Chapter 7.2.2 --- Multiple Regression Models and Assumption Testings --- p.198 / Chapter 7.2.3 --- Test of Violation of Multiple Regression Assumptions --- p.199 / Chapter 7.2.4.1 --- Linearity --- p.200 / Chapter 7.2.4.2 --- Normality --- p.201 / Chapter 7.2.4.3 --- Constant Variance of Residuals --- p.201 / Chapter 7.2.4.4 --- Non-Multicollinearity --- p.202 / Chapter 7.2.4.5 --- Log Transformation of the Model --- p.203 / Chapter 7.2.4.6 --- Multivariate Empirical Results --- p.204 / Chapter 7.2.4.7 --- Extent of Voluntary Disclosure --- p.205 / Chapter 7.4 --- Testing of the Second Research Model --- p.207 / Chapter 7.3.1 --- The Testing of Assumptions of the Second Research Model --- p.208 / ANOVA Results --- p.208 / Chapter 7.5 --- Chapter Summary --- p.212 / Chapter CHAPTER VIII --- "SUMMARY, DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION" / Chapter 8.1 --- Overview of the Study --- p.214 / Chapter 8.2 --- The Current State and Effectiveness of Corporate Disclosure in Hong Kong --- p.217 / Chapter 8.3 --- Discussion of the Current State of Annual Report Disclosure and the Corporate Governance --- p.220 / Chapter 8.4 --- Discussion of Hypotheses Testing Results --- p.221 / Chapter 8.4.1 --- Hypothesis Related to Corporate Governance --- p.221 / Chapter 8.4.2 --- Hypothesis Related to Other Specific Firm Attributes --- p.226 / Chapter 8.5 --- Limitations of the Study --- p.228 / Chapter 8.5.1 --- Limitations of the Survey Questionnaires --- p.228 / Chapter 8.5.2 --- Credibility of Disclosures --- p.229 / Chapter 8.6 --- Contributions of the Study --- p.230 / Chapter 8.1 --- Recommendations for Further Study --- p.231 / Chapter 8.2 --- Conclusions --- p.233 / appendix --- p.235 / Chapter 1. --- Mailed Survey Instrument (Corporate Report Preparers' Version) --- p.235 / Chapter 2. --- Mailed Survey Instrument (Financial Analysts' Version) --- p.244 / REFERENCE --- p.252

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-05T19:15:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Este estudo analisa os fatores diferenciadores do nível de divulgação de informações voluntárias sobre o meio ambiente por companhias brasileiras de capital aberto pertencentes a setores de alto impacto ambiental. A partir da teoria da divulgação foram formuladas sete variáveis: tamanho, rentabilidade, endividamento, governança corporativa, sustentabilidade, controle acionário e internacionalização, as quais visam estabelecer a relação com o nível de divulgação ambiental. Por meio da técnica de análise de conteúdo das Demonstrações Financeiras Padronizadas (DFPs) do exercício findo em 2008, examinaram-se as informações de caráter ambiental divulgadas por 69 empresas com ações listadas na Bolsa de Valores de São Paulo (BOVESPA), pertencentes a setores de alto impacto ambiental, classificadas de acordo com o Anexo VIII da Lei n°. 10.165/2000. Em seguida, identificaram-se os fatores diferenciadores que explicam a divulgação de informações ambientais por meio da técnica estatística de regressão múltipla. Os resul / This study analyzes the differentiation factors of the level of disclosure of volunteer information about the environment by Brazilian joint stock companies belonging to sectors of high environmental impact. Considering the disclosure theory, seven variables were formulated: dimension, profitability, debt, corporate governance, sustainability, stock control and internationalization; they aim to establish the relationship with the level of environmental disclosure. Through content analyze technique of the Financial Demonstrations Patterns (FIPs) ended in 2008 it was examined information of environmental nature published by 69 companies that have shares listed in the Stock Exchange of São Paulo (BOVESPA), classified according Attachment VIII of the Law n°. 10.165/2000. Afterwards, it was identified the differentiation factors that explain the disclosure of environmental information by statistical technique of multiple regression. The results reveal that the information verified in the FIPs figurate, in general,

A quality corporate disclosure environment is vital for an efficient market. The ultimate purpose of this thesis is to study the information environment of the Chinese capital market. There are different types of participants playing equally important roles in the smooth functioning of the Chinese capital market. I attempt to study the information issue from three different perspectives using three separate essays. / Apart from raising the awareness on the importance of quality corporate disclosure in the smooth functioning of a capital market, this study provides evidence supporting the importance of a transparent information environment for analysts' earnings forecast accuracy and how opinion dispersion among financial analysts and investors at large affects subsequent stock returns. Allowing investors a thorough understanding of the Chinese capital market mitigates misconception and can help foreign funds and local investors to make investment decisions in the China capital market. / In my second essay, my focus is on financial analysts; examining the role of information disclosure and the accuracy of analysts' earnings forecasts. Using all the Chinese firms included in the I/B/E/S files, I evaluate the predictive accuracy of analysts' earnings forecasts. Apart from examining the relative forecast errors of the analyst vis-a-vis a naive forecast model as well as studying the determinants and explanatory variables of the differential analysts' forecast errors between groups of firms, regression analysis is also conducted to evaluate such determinants. / In my third essay, I recognize that investors at large react differently to information disclosed and my focus is on the dispersion of opinion among financial analysts. I examine the role of such differences in opinion in relation to the cross section of future stock returns in the Chinese capital market. Results show that stocks with higher dispersion in analysts' earnings earn lower return than otherwise similar stocks. Results also suggest that a more correct interpretation of dispersion in analysts' forecast is as a proxy for investors' opinion differences about a stock rather than as a proxy for risk. / In the first essay, my focus is on a general information user level, looking at what information is available in the capital market as disclosed by firms. My first essay analyzes the firm-specific news announcements for Chinese firms listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges with foreign ownership (firms issuing B shares) to gain an understand of the current information disclosure environment in the China stock market. I establish a news database which permits an examination of the distributional characteristics of the news items by categories, firm nature and timing. This essay also reports a positive relation between frequency of news disclosure and the total market capitalization, the total asset and the percentage of tradable share of a firm. / Lui Man Ching Gladie. / "August 2003." / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 64-09, Section: A, page: 3409. / Supervisor: In-Mu Haw. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest dissertations and theses, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest Information and Learning Company, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

Background/Discussion: Among investors, annual reports are used as a decision-making document to value a company. Many companies therefore use voluntary disclosure as a complement to statutory information in annual reports. Previous studies have examined what the underlying factors for voluntary disclosure are. These have among other things, resulted in factors such as size, country of origin and owner concentration, which has a significant impact on the amount of voluntary disclosure. Therefore, it is interesting to examine if there is a significant difference between the amount of voluntary disclosure in companies with controlled ownership versus management ownership. The selection is based on companies listed on the Swedish stock market Nasdaq Strockholm, Large Cap and Small Cap. Purpose: This comparative study is aiming to investigate differences in the amount of voluntary disclosure between companies with controlled ownership and management ownership. The purpose is to create a deeper understanding and increase awareness of the ownership structure's impact on voluntary information. Method: A quantitative method has been used for the study and empirical data has been collected through observations of annual reports. The collected data has then been assessed according to a valuation index designed for the study. The index has been adapted to both swedish and international regulations. The study has then used scatterplots and a t-test to measure whether or not there is a significant difference in the amount of voluntary disclosure between the two owner concentrations. Result: Based on the study's sample, there is no significant difference in the amount of voluntary disclosure between control-owned and management-controlled companies. Control-owned companies tend to report more information about accidents than managementcontrolled companies. The management-controlled companies in the study tend to report more information on marketing than control-owned companies

Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 47-06, page: 3551. Adviser: Christine Markham. Includes bibliographical references.