Advances in Research in Business and Finance, 2005: Corporate Governance, Financial Reporting and Corporate Disclosure Practice (Volume 4)

In the new era of globalization, the corporates that exhibit good governance backed by transparency are expected to attract the various stakeholders including investors. No more the companies are compared within the boundaries of the nation but across the globe. This volume of conference proceedings has papers that address the issues related to corporate governance with empirical support based on both primary and secondary data. Although in India, corporate governance is at its nascent stage, the works presented in this volume compare the governance practices of large Indian companies with global practices. The researchers cite that after recommendations of several committees, corporate governance practices of Indian companies have improved a lot, although there is scope for continuous improvement. The concept of an independent director has been appreciated by Indian companies. This is a very good sign in the direction of good governance. Studies throw light on the impact of related or unrelated diversification by companies on the performance, which can have some policy implications for the companies in general. This volume has also papers related to financial reporting and corporate disclosure practices. Sound reporting practices are considered to be stepping stones for good corporate governance. It is voluntary disclosure not necessarily a mandatory disclosure that matters a lot for stakeholders. The authors discuss emerging issues in disclosure practices like environmental reporting and also the impact of disclosure practices on the firm’s performance.