Corporate social disclosures in the context of national cultures and stakeholder theory

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to investigate whether corporate social disclosure levels relate to national cultures. Design/methodology/approach - The sample consisted of 600 large companies from 22 countries. Cultural measures were applied: a measure for secrecy, as proposed by Hope Findings - A number of significant statistical relationships between corporate social disclosures and cultural measures are identified. The results are consistent with the associations suggested by stakeholder theory and a country-specific stakeholder orientation. It is concluded that corporate social disclosure levels are likely to be influenced by national cultures. Research limitations/implications - The results of Van der Laan Smith Practical implications - The outcomes can be useful to the managers of multinational corporations, when preparing corporate social disclosures. Originality/value - Instead of a comparison between two nations, as is undertaken by Van der Laan Smith