02 May 2018

ECIIA: Over disclosure of information could erode stakeholder trust

In the rush to comply with pressure to disclose ever-increasing levels of non-financial information, companies could inadvertently erode stakeholder trust by publishing too much data, delegates heard at the 22nd European Corporate Governance Conference in Sofia this April.

Since statutory auditors in Europe – with the exception of those in Italy and the UK – do not check the content of non-financial reporting, directors may be unaware that they are revealing competitive information. Since an estimated 80% of companies’ value is now intangible, such disclosure could have serious consequences.

“Getting the balance right on disclosure should boost competitive advantage rather than erode it,” Farid Aractingi, ECIIA President says. “There is clearly a potential gap in companies’ control systems that internal auditors are ideally placed to fill.”

Internal auditors have a unique oversight position as the third line of defence in organisations. That means they are ideally placed to help co-ordinate and provide assurance on the quality and relevance of information in non-financial reports.

Additional tools that can help organisations face non-financial disclosure challenges include the Global Reporting Initiative and IFAC’s integrated thinking and reporting resources.

The pressure on increased non-financial disclosure has been seen as part of a societal shift as stakeholders expect organisations to adopt more ethical and responsible strategies. Corporate governance has been responding to these shifts in expectations by expanding its remit to look at the environment, social justice issues and culture.

Boards need to be courageous if they are to rise to the challenge that these pressures.

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