The moderating role of family ownership on the relationship between ownership concentration and comply-or-explain disclosure: An analysis on Italian listed companies

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to investigate the relationship between ownership concentration and the degree of comply-or-explain disclosure regarding the composition and functioning of boards of directors, also considering the moderating role played by family ownership. The study is conducted on a sample of 227 Italian non-financial listed companies. The results reveal a negative relationship between ownership concentration and the degree of comply-or-explain disclosure. Moreover, this relationship is stronger in companies having a family firm as a dominant shareholder. The paper contributes to previous studies on the degree of adherence to corporate governance code by investigating both the comply aspect and the explanations provided in cases of non-compliance. Moreover, the study contributes to previous research on the relationship between ownership structure and disclosure by considering the moderating role played by shareholder identity.