Ownership structure and corporate voluntary disclosure-evidence from Taiwan

Abstract

Compared to western markets, listed firms in East Asia typically have low levels of information transparency and do not motivate to disclose proprietary information to the public. One of the most frequently cited reasons for the low level of transparency and disclosure quality is poor corporate governance structures in this region. In this study, we explore the association between ownership structure and voluntary information disclosure in Taiwan. Annual report index data from Information Disclosure and Transparence Ranking System (IDTRS) are used as the proxy of the firm's voluntary information. The empirical results indicate that the level of information disclosure is likely to be less in "insider" or family-controlled companies.