Abstract:
The primary objectives of this study are to: investigate the utilization of the
internet by the companies listed on the Ghana Stock exchange (GSE) for
financial reporting; to determine the company characteristics that influence the
information disclosure on the internet; and to investigate whether there is a
difference between the firms listed in terms oftype of financial information
disclosure on the internet. The methodology of the study was content analysis
of corporate web sites of companies listed on the GSE. The findings indicated
that although all listed companies operate websites, only 21(61%) of the
companies, which are predominantly in the banking and insurance sector
provide a complete set of financial information on the internet. Again, there
exist variations in terms of the amount of content(e.g. summary financial
statements vs. detailed financial statements),the style of presentation (e.g.
similar to paper-based reports vs inclusion of multi-media) and the manner in
which companies incorporate navigation aids (e.g. hyperlinks, search boxes
and others). Overall, the research finding is essential as it assists in informing
regulators about the characteristics of listed companies that are, and are not,
satisfying national and international investors‟ demand of updated/online
information. It also assists current and potential stakeholders to know what
drives corporate internet reporting in Ghana. Consequently, they may further
investigate and verify such reporting practices. In practice, online reporting
can be used as an effective tool for improving stakeholders‟ decision-making
process. Therefore, further research can be undertaken to examine the degree
to which online reporting provides value-relevant information for
stakeholders.
Digitized
