Health disclosures in capital market communication

• The objective of this chapter is to provide theoretical foundations as well as an account of the current practice of disclosure in relation to social accounting information and health. This chapter starts off by describing corporate communication with the capital market, highlighting the importance of accounting information for the capital market. Since the disclosure of corporate health issues is largely unregulated, a distinction between voluntary and mandatory disclosure is provided by illustrating the pros and cons of both modes. Corporate communication is often regarded as a legitimizing process directed towards corporate stakeholders. Consequently, the interrelation of stakeholder theory and legitimacy theory is discussed by taking Swedish sickness-absence disclosures as an example of mandatory health disclosure. The discussion develops further into an argument highlighting the role of financial reporting for corporate accountability issues. The current reporting requirements under the accounting framework are presented and raise the question why only few human resource disclosures are subject to mandatory requirements. Finally, this chapter illustrates the obstacles and opportunities of health disclosures by putting forward an argument that increased understanding of health management control issues inside companies has the potential to increase the extent and quality of externalized health disclosures. Consequently, increased consideration of health disclosures within the company will be externalized to the investment community.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv -- Företagsekonomi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business -- Business Administration (hsv//eng)

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