Introduction

Overview of Caribbean and African Countries and Human Resource Disclosure Policy in the Caribbean and Southern African Corporate Context

Theoretical Literature

Empirical Literature Review & Hypotheses Development

Research Design

Data Analysis and Findings

Empirical Results and Discussion

Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations

References

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which economically significant Caribbean and African firms provide human resources disclosures (HRD), and the factors related to their disclosure practices. It is motivated by the dearth of studies of HRD among firms in developing countries.

Design/methodology/approach: All companies with common shares listed on the main tier of the major stock exchanges in each country examined on December 31, 2013 as well as selected state enterprises were included in the study if their annual report, sustainability report or integrated report was available online. HRD was measured using an unweighted 174-item disclosure index. The research hypotheses were examined using multiple-regression analysis.

Findings: The level of HRD in the Caribbean and Southern Africa was relatively low (M=33.7 percent, SD=25.3 percent). The amount of HRD was related to organizational culture, firm size, industry affiliation, national governance environment and foreign influence. Geographical region, gender diversity and director independence were not statistically related to the amount of HRD.

Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to examine some key factors associated with the human resources disclosures (HRD) of economically significant [1] Caribbean and southern African firms. It is motivated by two factors. The first factor is the dearth of studies examining the HRD of firms in developing countries (Huang et al., 2013; Abeysekera, 2008), especially those in the Caribbean and Africa. Over the past two decades a growing number of researchers have examined the level and determinants of HRD by companies in most developed and several developing countries. Several studies examined the status of intellectual capital (IC) disclosures and or HRD in a particular country (e.g., Bozzolan et al., 2003; Yi and Davey, 2010) or the association between the extent of disclosure and a variety of corporate characteristics such as size and industry affiliation (e.g., Oliveira et al., 2006; Guthrie et al., 2006). See Abhayawansa and Abeysekera (2008) and Whiting and Woodcock (2011) for reviews of this literature. Other studies have focused on human resources policies and processes related to decent work practices and corporate performance (e.g., Cahaya, et al., 2012, and Vuontisjarvi, 2006). Generally, the findings of these studies have been mixed, with the amount and types of HRD varying across countries, industries, and time (Alvarez Dominguez, 2012; Vuontisjarvi, 2006; Huang et al., 2013; Kaur et al, 2016). However, one common thread has been the relatively low level of HRD across jurisdictions (e.g., Whiting and Woodcock, 2011; Abhayawansa and Abeysekera, 2008). Notwithstanding the recent increase in HRD studies, an extensive review of the academic literature on HRD located no studies into the extent, determinants or consequences of HRD in the Caribbean and very few studies in Africa (e.g., Barako, 2007; Hassan et al., 2011; Khlif et al, 2015), two regions with many documented human resources challenges. This study begins to fill this gap in the HRD literature and helps to develop a more nuanced view of HRD in southern African and the Caribbean. Additionally, by revealing the quantity and quality of HRD in these regions, the findings of this study will help legislators and policy makers assess the effectiveness of the current regulatory and enforcement environment for corporate HR practices and disclosures. Such assessments could lead to the identification of areas that are in need of reform to promote better HRD and more sustainable development.