Business Case for Corporate Transparency: Evidence from Kenya

Abstract

With increasing trend of corporate scandals and corporate failure, stakeholders are demanding access to information, transparency and accountability. In response to these demands, corporate governance guidelines all over the world prescribe for corporate transparency and disclosure of information especially among public listed firms. Drawing from agency theory and stakeholder theory, we argue that corporate boards have a responsibility to disclose material information to stakeholders in order to facilitate decision making and hence improve firm performance. This study investigates business case of corporate transparency in Kenya. Applying Fixed Effects regression model on data from 42 listed firms in Nairobi Securities Exchange for the period 2005-2010, we found that indeed corporate transparency has a positive and significant effect on firm performance. The results have important policy implications on corporate disclosures in Kenya.

Keywords: Corporate Transparency, Accountability, Corporate Governance, Kenya.