ASX guidelines for disclosure on Australian company websites. Changing times is the ASX perception of stakeholders information needs met?

Abstract: Purpose This paper investigates disclosure of corporate governance, in light of ASX guidelines, on websites of Australian companies. Design/methodology/approach Utilising a disclosure index, content analysis was undertaken of the websites of 50 Australian companies to determine the alignment of their disclosure practices with ASX recommendations for disclosure. Findings The disclosure of corporate governance was generally aligned to ASX recommendations. Interestingly, some companies appeared to make little or no use of their websites. Research Limitations/Implications This study provides an update of disclosure practices on company websites in Australia and indicates the level of disclosure of corporate governance on company websites is not as extensive as the level of disclosure within annual reports. It highlights the need for a greater involvement by the ASX to either encourage reporting recommendations for company websites or alternatively, to review the guidelines to determine relevance to reporting companies. Originality/Value This is the first study to compare the disclosure of corporate governance on Australian company websites to the ASX guidelines.