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On the Value of Transparency in Agencies with Renegotiation

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  • FRANK B. GIGLER
  • THOMAS HEMMER

Abstract

In this paper we study when it is advantageous to improve corporate transparency by allowing shareholders direct access to corporate information and when it is preferable to rely on a reporting system in which shareholders only gain access to information that management chooses to disclose. We show that in an agency model that allows for contract renegotiation, the desirability of a fully transparent reporting regime hinges on the stewardship properties of the information in question. Specifically, information that is mainly useful for predicting future events and of little use for evaluating past actions should only be made available to the public through management's self‐interested disclosures. Only if the information is useful for making inference about managerial actions can it be optimal to have full corporate transparency, so that outsiders have independent access to the same information as management.

Suggested Citation

  • Frank B. Gigler & Thomas Hemmer, 2004. "On the Value of Transparency in Agencies with Renegotiation," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(5), pages 871-893, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:joares:v:42:y:2004:i:5:p:871-893
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-679X.2004.00159.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Gigler, Frank & Hemmer, Thomas, 2002. "Informational costs and benefits of creating separately identifiable operating segments," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 69-90, February.
    2. Ching-to Albert Ma, 1991. "Adverse Selection in Dynamic Moral Hazard," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 106(1), pages 255-275.
    3. Gigler, F & Hemmer, T, 1998. "On the frequency, quality, and informational role of mandatory financial reports," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36, pages 117-147.
    4. Indjejikian, Raffi & Nanda, Dhananjay, 1999. "Dynamic incentives and responsibility accounting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 177-201, April.
    5. Jacques Crémer, 1995. "Arm's Length Relationships," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 110(2), pages 275-295.
    6. Hermalin, Benjamin E & Katz, Michael L, 1991. "Moral Hazard and Verifiability: The Effects of Renegotiation in Agency," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 59(6), pages 1735-1753, November.
    7. Peter Ove Christensen & Joel S. Demski & Hans Frimor, 2002. "Accounting Policies in Agencies with Moral Hazard and Renegotiation," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 40(4), pages 1071-1090, September.
    8. Fudenberg, Drew & Tirole, Jean, 1990. "Moral Hazard and Renegotiation in Agency Contracts," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 58(6), pages 1279-1319, November.
    9. Demski, JS & Frimor, H, 1999. "Performance measure garbling under renegotiation in multiperiod agencies," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37, pages 187-214.
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    Cited by:

    1. Armstrong, Christopher S. & Guay, Wayne R. & Weber, Joseph P., 2010. "The role of information and financial reporting in corporate governance and debt contracting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 179-234, December.
    2. Singh, Rajdeep & Yerramilli, Vijay, 2014. "Market efficiency, managerial compensation, and real efficiency," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 561-578.
    3. Beyer, Anne & Cohen, Daniel A. & Lys, Thomas Z. & Walther, Beverly R., 2010. "The financial reporting environment: Review of the recent literature," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(2-3), pages 296-343, December.
    4. Volker Laux, 2008. "Board Independence and CEO Turnover," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(1), pages 137-171, March.
    5. Katolnik, Svetlana & Kukec, Sandra K. & Schöndube, Jens Robert, 2015. "Board Incentives and Board Independence in Dynamic Agency," Hannover Economic Papers (HEP) dp-567, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät.

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