The impact of the Tunisian Revolution and internal governance mechanisms on the extent of voluntary information disclosure

Purpose - This study aims to investigate, on the one hand, the impact of the Tunisian Revolution and internal governance mechanisms (especially, the ownership structure and the board of directors structure on the extent of voluntary information disclosure [VID]) and on the other hand, the moderating effect of the Tunisian Revolution on the relationship between the internal corporate governance mechanisms and the VID. Design/methodology/approach - A content analysis of 362 annual reports is used for determining the level of VID. This study covers a 10-year period (2007-2016) which is divided into two sub-periods (before and after the Tunisian Revolution). The generalized least squares regression model was used to investigate the effect of the Tunisian Revolution, ownership structure and the board of directors structure on the VID. Findings - The Tunisian companies disclose less voluntary information after the Tunisian Revolution because of a decrease in the disclosure of information related to results, intangible assets, non-financial information and management’s discussion and analysis. The authors’ findings highlight the importance of the moderating effect of the revolution. After the Tunisian Revolution, a positive relationship was found, on the one hand, between institutional ownership, board size and board independence, and the VID on the other hand. Besides, companies with dual structures and with a high level of foreign ownership are less reluctant to the VID. Moreover, different governance mechanisms are related to different types of information disclosed. These relationships were affected by the Tunisian Revolution. Practical implications - This piece of research could be useful for managers, investors and different stakeholders. It can help managers in improving their VID and thus their companies’ transparency, mainly in developing countries and in times of crisis. Moreover, it could be helpful for investors and stakeholders for their decision-making, especially in crisis periods. Originality/value - This study contributes to the literature by investigating the VID in a developing country and in times of crisis. It widens knowledge by analyzing the types of voluntary information disclosed. It is one of the few pieces of research investigating this issue. Moreover, it is the first research analyzing the consequences on the VID of the revolutions in the Arab countries that have experienced an Arab Spring Revolution.