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Rhetorical impression management in the letter to shareholders and institutional setting

Author

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  • Walter Aerts
  • Beibei Yan

Abstract

Purpose - Using composite style measures of the letter to shareholders, the purpose of this paper is to elaborate dominant rhetorical profiles and qualify them from an impression management (IM) perspective. In addition, the paper examines how institutional differences affect rhetorical profiles by comparing intensity and contingencies of rhetorical profiles of UK and US companies. Design/methodology/approach - The authors use automated text analysis to capture linguistic style characteristics of a panel of UK and US companies and employ factor analysis to determine rhetorical profiles. Next, the authors investigate company-level and country-level determinants of a company’s rhetorical stance. Findings - The authors document three prominent rhetorical profiles: an emphatic acclaiming stance, a cautious plausibility-based framing position, and a logic-based rationalizing orientation. The profiles represent distinct self-presentational logics and have different readability effects. Rhetorical IM is stronger in US companies, but higher expected scrutiny in the US institutional environment affects sensitivity of rhetorical postures to message credibility and litigation risk, while marginally increasing the less litigation-sensitive defensive framing style in US letters. Originality/value - The authors develop replicable archival-based measures of prominent rhetorical IM traits of the shareholder letter, based on composite style features. The authors argue that they are qualitatively different from content-based IM proxies. The authors investigate their institutional and organizational relevance by examining how company features and country-level differences affect incentives and constraints for style-based rhetorical IM.

Suggested Citation

  • Walter Aerts & Beibei Yan, 2017. "Rhetorical impression management in the letter to shareholders and institutional setting," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 30(2), pages 404-432, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:eme:aaajpp:aaaj-01-2015-1916
    DOI: 10.1108/AAAJ-01-2015-1916
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Xavier Hollandts & Daniela Borodak & Ariane Tichit, 2018. "La dynamique de changement des formes de gouvernance : le cas français (2000-2014)," Revue Finance Contrôle Stratégie, revues.org, vol. 21(3), pages 129-158, December.
    2. Julia Neuhaus & Andrew Isaak & Denefa Bostandzic, 2022. "Million dollar personality: a systematic literature review on personality in crowdfunding," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 72(2), pages 309-345, June.
    3. Fiset, John & Oldford, Erin & Chu, Shaner, 2021. "Market signaling capacity of written and visual charismatic leadership tactics," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(C).
    4. Habiba Al-Shaer & Muhammad Farhan Malik & Mahbub Zaman, 2022. "What do audit committees do? Transparency and impression management," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 26(4), pages 1443-1468, December.
    5. Dominika Hadro & Karol Marek Klimczak & Marek Pauka, 2017. "Impression Management in Letters to Shareholders: Evidence from Poland," Accounting in Europe, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(3), pages 305-330, September.
    6. Enrique Bonson & David Perea & Graca Azevedo, 2021. "Tone and content analysis in the president’s letters to shareholders: Spanish evidence," Upravlenets, Ural State University of Economics, vol. 12(1), pages 78-90, March.
    7. Corinne Bessieux-Ollier & Grégoire Davrinche & Guillaume Dumas, 2022. "L'adaptation de la communication financière face à la crise COVID : le cas des résultats non-GAAP," Post-Print hal-03948560, HAL.
    8. Rayenda Khresna Brahmana & Doddy Setiawan & Maria Kontesa, 2022. "The blame game: COVID-19 crisis and financial performance," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 2(11), pages 1-20, November.
    9. Thomas Hermann, 2018. "A rhetorical situation triggers accounting communication. The case of the conflict between the Bank of German States and the Government in 1955/56," CONTABILIT? E CULTURA AZIENDALE, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2018(1), pages 73-118.
    10. Walid Ben‐Amar & Merridee Bujaki & Bruce McConomy & Philip McIlkenny, 2022. "Disclosure transparency and impression management: A textual analysis of board gender diversity disclosures in Canada," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(5), pages 1247-1265, September.
    11. Lorenzo Gelmini & Valentina Minutiello & Patrizia Tettamanzi & Maurizio Comoli, 2021. "Rhetoric, Accounting and Accountability: COVID-19 and the Case of Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-21, April.
    12. Berkin, Anil & Aerts, Walter & Van Caneghem, Tom, 2023. "Feasibility analysis of machine learning for performance-related attributional statements," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 48(C).
    13. Corinne Bessieux-Ollier & Grégoire Davrinche & Guillaume Dumas, 2022. "L'adaptation de la communication financière face à la crise COVID : le cas des résultats non-GAAP," Post-Print hal-03948567, HAL.
    14. Grégoire Davrinche & Corinne Bessieux-Ollier & Guillaume Dumas, 2022. "Chapitre 10. L'adaptation de la communication financière face à la crise Covid-19 : le cas des résultats non-GAAP," Post-Print hal-03948425, HAL.

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