Accessibility of Financial Reporting on the Internet in India: A Comparative Study of Public and Private Sector Giants
Keywords:
Corporate Disclosure, Web, Accessibility of Information, India, Public and Private Sector CompaniesAbstract
The accessibility of financial and non-financial data on corporate websites is not necessarily enhanced by providing large amount of information on websites. The quality of online information is increased by both the accessibility and volume of information provided. However, literature have shown that the accessibility of the information is an under researched area. The present study contributes to the existing body of knowledge concerning corporate disclosure through web, with specific emphasis on corporate information by examining the accessibility of financial and non-financial information included on the websites of public and private sector companies A comparison of the websites of public and private sector companies showed significant variations in the structure of websites, the level at which information was accessible within the websites and the terminology used. The study concludes that current form of web-based corporate reporting hinders the process of comparability but with a more sustained focus on the uniformity of terminology and attributes included in corporate web reporting, possibility of confusion at the time of comparison of information across companies is reduced.
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