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Firm performance, reporting goals, and language choices in narrative disclosures

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  • Asay, H. Scott
  • Libby, Robert
  • Rennekamp, Kristina

Abstract

We use an experiment with experienced managers to provide more-direct evidence on how reporting goals and firm performance influence language choices. We find that bad news disclosures are less readable than good news, but only when managers have a stronger self-enhancement motive. Our results suggest that this difference is driven mainly by attempts to write more readable good news reports as opposed to intentional obfuscation of poor performance. In order to frame poor performance in a positive light, managers also focus more on the future, provide causal explanations for poor performance, and use more passive voice and fewer personal pronouns.

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  • Asay, H. Scott & Libby, Robert & Rennekamp, Kristina, 2018. "Firm performance, reporting goals, and language choices in narrative disclosures," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(2), pages 380-398.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jaecon:v:65:y:2018:i:2:p:380-398
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jacceco.2018.02.002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Asay, H. Scott & Libby, Robert & Rennekamp, Kristina M., 2018. "Do features that associate managers with a message magnify investors’ reactions to narrative disclosures?," Accounting, Organizations and Society, Elsevier, vol. 68, pages 1-14.
    5. Ling Tuo & Yu (Tony) Zhang & Zhenfeng Liu & Ruixue Du, 2019. "Business Education of CEO-CFO and Annual Report Readability," Review of Economics & Finance, Better Advances Press, Canada, vol. 17, pages 16-34, August.
    6. Kong, Dongmin & Shi, Lu & Zhang, Fan, 2021. "Explain or conceal? Causal language intensity in annual report and stock price crash risk," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 715-725.
    7. Hyunkwon Cho & Robert Kim, 2021. "Asymmetric effects of voluntary disclosure on stock liquidity: evidence from 8‐K filings," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 61(1), pages 803-846, March.
    8. Bassyouny, Hesham & Abdelfattah, Tarek & Tao, Lei, 2020. "Beyond narrative disclosure tone: The upper echelons theory perspective," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    9. Satoshi Taguchi & Yoshio Kamijo, 2018. "Intentions behind disclosure to promote trust under short-termism: An experimental study," Working Papers SDES-2018-8, Kochi University of Technology, School of Economics and Management, revised Oct 2018.
    10. Chychyla, Roman & Leone, Andrew J. & Minutti-Meza, Miguel, 2019. "Complexity of financial reporting standards and accounting expertise," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(1), pages 226-253.
    11. Bassyouny, Hesham & Abdelfattah, Tarek & Tao, Lei, 2022. "Narrative disclosure tone: A review and areas for future research," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    12. Jie He & Kam C. Chan, 2023. "Does short sales deregulation affect qualitative information disclosure?," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 63(S1), pages 1351-1380, April.
    13. Johannes Brunzel, 2023. "Linguistic cues of chief executive officer personality and its effect on performance," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(1), pages 215-243, January.
    14. Brink, Alisa G. & Eller, C. Kevin & Gao, Lei, 2021. "He wouldn't, but I would: The effects of pronoun-induced language vividness in whistleblowing policies," Advances in accounting, Elsevier, vol. 54(C).
    15. Iqbal, Javid & Saeed, Abubakr, 2023. "Managerial sentiments, non-performing loans, and banks financial performance: A causal mediation approach," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    16. Shuyu Zhang & Walter Aerts & Dunli Zhang & Zishan Chen, 2022. "Positive tone and initial coin offering," Accounting and Finance, Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, vol. 62(2), pages 2237-2266, June.
    17. 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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