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Accounting Narratives and Impression Management

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  • Niamh Brennan
  • Doris M. Merkl-Davies

Abstract

This chapter focuses on impression management in accounting communication. Impression management entails the construction of an impression by organisations with the intention to appeal to their audiences, including shareholders, stakeholders, the general public, and the media. If successful, it undermines the quality of financial reporting and capital misallocations may result. What is more, wider social and political consequences include unwarranted support by non-financial stakeholders or by society at large. Impression management is examined by reference to four perspectives: the economic, psychological, sociological, and critical. These variously conceptualise impression management as reporting bias, self-serving bias, symbolic management, and ideological bias.

Suggested Citation

  • Niamh Brennan & Doris M. Merkl-Davies, 2013. "Accounting Narratives and Impression Management," Open Access publications 10197/4949, Research Repository, University College Dublin.
    • Handle: RePEc:rru:oapubs:10197/4949
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10197/4949
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    8. Karen Moris, 2014. "The Media Influency On The Corporate Governance Practices [L'Influence Des Medias Sur Les Pratiques De Gouvernance D'Entreprise]," Post-Print hal-01899412, HAL.
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    10. Mousa, Gehan A. & Elamir, Elsayed A.H. & Hussainey, Khaled, 2022. "The effect of annual report narratives on the cost of capital in the Middle East and North Africa: A machine learning approach," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
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    16. Tiffany Cheng-Han Leung & Robin Stanley Snell, 2021. "Strategies for Social and Environmental Disclosure: The Case of Multinational Gambling Companies," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 168(3), pages 447-467, January.
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    18. Yuriko Nakao & Katsuhiko Kokubu & Kimitaka Nishitani, 2019. "Do Sustainability Reports Strategically Employ Rhetorical Tone? : An evidence from Japan," Discussion Papers 2019-01, Kobe University, Graduate School of Business Administration.
    19. Renato Camodeca & Alex Almici & Umberto Sagliaschi, 2018. "Sustainability Disclosure in Integrated Reporting: Does It Matter to Investors? A Cheap Talk Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-34, November.
    20. Charles H. Cho & Matias Laine & Robin W. Roberts & Michelle Rodrigue, 2018. "The Frontstage and Backstage of Corporate Sustainability Reporting: Evidence from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Bill," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 152(3), pages 865-886, October.
    21. Jari Martikainen & Roberto Adriani, 2023. "Cover Images of Inflight Magazines as Airlines’ Methods of Impression Management: Alitalia’s Ulisse Magazine and Finnair’s Blue Wings Magazine," Corporate Reputation Review, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 26(1), pages 64-80, February.
    22. Paula Gomes dos Santos & Fábio Albuquerque & Maria Albertina Barreiro Rodrigues & Ana Isabel Morais, 2022. "The Views of Stakeholders on Mandatory or Voluntary Use of a Simplified Standard on Non-Financial Information for SMEs in the European Union," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-22, February.
    23. Cleary, Peter & Quinn, Martin & Moreno, Alonso, 2019. "Socioemotional wealth in family firms: A longitudinal content analysis of corporate disclosures," Journal of Family Business Strategy, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 119-132.

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