Online financial disclosure and firms’ performance Evidence from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Abdalmuttaleb Alsartawi
Abdalmuttaleb Musleh Alsartawi
Department of Accounting and Economics
Ahlia University, Manama
Bahrain
Email: amasartawi@hotmail.com
DOI: 10.1108/WJEMSD-11-2017-0082
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the association between online financial disclosure (OFD) and firms’ performance in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Design/methodology/approach: Extensive literature review was carried out and a checklist of 90 items (71 for content and 19 for presentation) was developed to measure the level of OFD by the firms that are listed in financial sectors of the GCC Bourses.
Findings: The findings show that the overall OFD in GCC is 77 percent. The results indicate a positive association between OFD and firms’ performance.
Practical implications: The study recommends that regulatory bodies should develop a guideline of disclosing information through the internet in order to enhance the corporate transparency and performance among the GCC listed companies leading to reasonable economic decision making.
Originality/value: Additionally, the study contributes to financial reporting and performance literature relating to the GCC countries.
Keywords: Performance; Voluntary disclosure; GCC countries; Online financial disclosure.
Citation: Musleh Alsartawi, A. (2018), "Online financial disclosure and firms’ performance: Evidence from the Gulf Cooperation Council countries", World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 178-190. https://doi.org/10.1108/WJEMSD-11-2017-0082