VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE BY NSW STATUTORY AUTHORITIES - THE INFLUENCE OF POLITICAL VISIBILITY

This study examines the influence of political visibility on the volun tary disclosure practices of 50 commercial and semi-commercial statuto ry authorities in the Australian State of New South Wales in 1984, the year prior to the enactment of legislation mandating detailed disclos ure requirements. A positive correlation is hypothesized and found bet ween the political visibility of these authorities and their voluntary disclosure of financial and non-financial information of a non-sensit ive nature. However, as predicted, no positive correlation is found be tween the authorities' political visibility and their disclosure of fi nancial and non-financial information of a sensitive nature.