Environmental Influences on Voluntary Disclosures in the Annual Reports of Hong Kong and Singapore Companies: A Cultural Perspective

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of environmental influences, particularly a secretive aspect of Chinese culture, on voluntary corporate disclosure practices. Evidence is provided of the similarly low level of voluntary disclosure by Hong Kong (HK) and Singaporian listed industrial companies. Further, a comparative analysis with prior research on UK/US companies indicates that the extent of voluntary disclosure by HK and Singaporian companies is lower overall. However, while this finding applies to both financial and nonfinancial information, it is not so in the case of strategic information for HK companies.

Citation

Chau, G.K. and Gray, S.J. (2001), "Environmental Influences on Voluntary Disclosures in the Annual Reports of Hong Kong and Singapore Companies: A Cultural Perspective", Asian Review of Accounting, Vol. 9 No. 1, pp. 104-127. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb060738