Towards a systemic approach in financial communication research: Evidence from exploratory case studies

This paper explores financial communication adopting a framework based on information theory elements. In such a perspective, financial communication is intended as a bidirectional and multi-channel process, which can be conveniently analysed as a complex system. The paper aims at exploring that system shifting the focus on the corporate perspective and on activities carried out to prepare messages to be disclosed to the financial community. In particular, the paper investigates activities related to preparation of specific documents and messages so to understand whether companies manage them as a coordinated process. This could shed light over an issue little investigated by existing literature and deliver insights into corporate financial reporting policies, providing a basis for further research. The communication process is explored through multiple case studies, which are not a common choice in disclosure studies even though they are a highly suitable strategy to achieve an in-depth understanding of complex phenomena.