Impression Management in Accounting Communication of MENA Banks: Impression Management Using Discretionary Narrative Disclosure Strategies of Banks? Annual Reports in the MENA Region

Recent scandals and corporate failures have shaken the confidence of investors in financial reporting. Thus, investors and other stakeholders called for greater transparency by better information disclosure via annual reports. Due to the fact that the annual report, especially the narrative section, stands for an essential part of the information used by investors and other stakeholders, it is vital that this information reflects a true and fair view of the business. However, literatures have indicated that the information disclosed in those sections was altered in a way to affect readers’ perceptions and their investment decisions, specifically used for impression management purposes. Impression management involves the manipulation of information to depict a specific image and it is generally aimed at developing a more advantageous view of an organization‘s performance than is warranted. Thus, impression management conflicts with the purpose of accounting, which is to display objectively financial performance in a neutral, unbiased way.