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Do managers really guide through the fog? On the challenges in assessing the causes of voluntary disclosure

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  • Dyer, Travis
  • Lang, Mark
  • Stice-Lawrence, Lorien

Abstract

Guay et al. (2016) document that firms with longer and more complex 10-Ks provide relatively more voluntary disclosure, which they interpret as evidence that managers use voluntary disclosure to mitigate negative effects of complex mandatory disclosure. We review the results of Guay et al. and focus on two main challenges to inferring causality: (1) the coincidence of upward over-time trends in annual report length, complexity, and voluntary disclosure, and (2) the potential for omitted correlated variables, such as changes in firm economics, to drive changes in 10-K textual characteristics and voluntary disclosure. While the results in Guay et al. are extensive and robust, we argue that economic drivers of, and trends in, voluntary disclosure present important avenues for future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Dyer, Travis & Lang, Mark & Stice-Lawrence, Lorien, 2016. "Do managers really guide through the fog? On the challenges in assessing the causes of voluntary disclosure," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 270-276.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jaecon:v:62:y:2016:i:2:p:270-276
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jacceco.2016.08.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Tim Loughran & Bill Mcdonald, 2014. "Measuring Readability in Financial Disclosures," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 69(4), pages 1643-1671, August.
    2. Grossman, Sanford J & Stiglitz, Joseph E, 1980. "On the Impossibility of Informationally Efficient Markets," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 70(3), pages 393-408, June.
    3. Li, Feng, 2008. "Annual report readability, current earnings, and earnings persistence," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(2-3), pages 221-247, August.
    4. Lawrence, Alastair, 2013. "Individual investors and financial disclosure," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(1), pages 130-147.
    5. Bloomfield, Robert, 2008. "Discussion of "Annual report readability, current earnings, and earnings persistence"," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(2-3), pages 248-252, August.
    6. Guay, Wayne & Samuels, Delphine & Taylor, Daniel, 2016. "Guiding through the Fog: Financial statement complexity and voluntary disclosure," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 234-269.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Kun Tracy Wang & Nathan Zhenghang Zhu, 2023. "Conditional Mandates on Management Earnings Forecasts: The Impact on the Cost of Debt," Abacus, Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, vol. 59(4), pages 901-953, December.
    2. Hans B. Christensen & Luzi Hail & Christian Leuz, 2021. "Mandatory CSR and sustainability reporting: economic analysis and literature review," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 26(3), pages 1176-1248, September.
    3. Yan Luo & Linying Zhou, 2020. "Textual tone in corporate financial disclosures: a survey of the literature," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 17(2), pages 101-110, September.
    4. Smith, Kecia Williams, 2023. "Tell Me More: A content analysis of expanded auditor reporting in the United Kingdom," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    5. Noh, Suzie & So, Eric C. & Weber, Joseph P., 2019. "Voluntary and mandatory disclosures: Do managers view them as substitutes?," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1).
    6. Durnev, Art & Mangen, Claudine, 2020. "The spillover effects of MD&A disclosures for real investment: The role of industry competition," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(1).
    7. Fahd Alduais & Nashat Ali Almasria & Abeer Samara & Ali Masadeh, 2022. "Conciseness, Financial Disclosure, and Market Reaction: A Textual Analysis of Annual Reports in Listed Chinese Companies," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-22, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Voluntary disclosure; Financial statement complexity;

    JEL classification:

    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting
    • M4 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting

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