Table 1 Taxonomy of disclosure... | Emerald Publishing

Table 1

Taxonomy of disclosure strategies

Disclosure strategy	Disclosure sub-strategy	Definition	Characteristics
Impression management		is “a field of study within social psychology studying how individuals present themselves to others to be perceived favourably by others” (Hooghiemstra, 2000, p. 60) is an attempt “to control and manipulate the impression conveyed to users of accounting information” (Clatworthy & Jones, 2001, p. 311) is a disclosure that “strategically…manipulates the perceptions and decisions of stakeholders” (Yuthas et al., 2002, p. 142)
	Attribution	is “a defensive framing tactic that shifts the blame for negative outcomes away” (Merkl-Davies & Brennan, 2007, p. 11) is “…a self-serving bias involving individuals' perceptions and explanations of events that manifests itself in a tendency to claim more responsibility for successes than for failures. In a financial reporting context, it entails managers attributing positive organizational outcomes to internal factors (‘entitlements’) and negative organizational outcomes to external factors (‘excuses’)” (Merkl-Davies & Brennan, 2007, p. 12)	Enumeration of external factors that contributed to the catastrophe; enumeration of firms or people that may also be to blame; explaining how the corporation tried to prevent the controversy; assurances that it will do everything to explain its causes
	Concealment	can “…be achieved in two ways: by either (1a) obfuscating negative outcomes (bad news) or (1b) emphasizing positive organizational outcomes (‘good news’)” (Merkl-Davies & Brennan, 2007, p. 11)	Highlighting corporation’s efforts to prevent the occurrence of catastrophes or controversies and its achievements and successes in the sustainability disclosure area; avoiding information about the current controversy and related issues
Incremental information		The most useful information for stakeholders including components valued by investors, which determines the preferred level of disaggregation (Jennings, 1990)
	Objective information	Information presented in a way to avoid the impression that its author(s) expresses their stance or personal feelings	A neutral description of a controversy; omitting words implying remorsefulness or an apology such as sorry, terrible, apologize, regret
	Apology	The expression of how the author feels about some information	An apologetic description of a controversy expressing guilty consciousness through words such as sorry, terrible, apologise, regret

Disclosure strategy	Disclosure sub-strategy	Definition	Characteristics
Impression management		is “a field of study within social psychology studying how individuals present themselves to others to be perceived favourably by others” (Hooghiemstra, 2000, p. 60)is an attempt “to control and manipulate the impression conveyed to users of accounting information” (Clatworthy & Jones, 2001, p. 311)is a disclosure that “strategically…manipulates the perceptions and decisions of stakeholders” (Yuthas et al., 2002, p. 142)
	Attribution	is “a defensive framing tactic that shifts the blame for negative outcomes away” (Merkl-Davies & Brennan, 2007, p. 11)is “…a self-serving bias involving individuals' perceptions and explanations of events that manifests itself in a tendency to claim more responsibility for successes than for failures. In a financial reporting context, it entails managers attributing positive organizational outcomes to internal factors (‘entitlements’) and negative organizational outcomes to external factors (‘excuses’)” (Merkl-Davies & Brennan, 2007, p. 12)	Enumeration of external factors that contributed to the catastrophe; enumeration of firms or people that may also be to blame; explaining how the corporation tried to prevent the controversy; assurances that it will do everything to explain its causes
	Concealment	can “…be achieved in two ways: by either (1a) obfuscating negative outcomes (bad news) or (1b) emphasizing positive organizational outcomes (‘good news’)” (Merkl-Davies & Brennan, 2007, p. 11)	Highlighting corporation’s efforts to prevent the occurrence of catastrophes or controversies and its achievements and successes in the sustainability disclosure area; avoiding information about the current controversy and related issues
Incremental information		The most useful information for stakeholders including components valued by investors, which determines the preferred level of disaggregation (Jennings, 1990)
	Objective information	Information presented in a way to avoid the impression that its author(s) expresses their stance or personal feelings	A neutral description of a controversy; omitting words implying remorsefulness or an apology such as sorry, terrible, apologize, regret
	Apology	The expression of how the author feels about some information	An apologetic description of a controversy expressing guilty consciousness through words such as sorry, terrible, apologise, regret

Source(s): Own elaboration