This paper attempts to explore the reasons for non-disclosure of accountability practices information (API) on the website by selected Malaysian local governments. The behaviours of Malaysian local governments towards non-disclosure of API is explained from the perspective of institutional isomorphism concept. Data collection was carried out through semi structured interviews among officers who are directly or indirectly involved in making decision related to accountability practices and agenda. The analysis of data revealed a greater influence of coercive pressures exerted on the selected local governments’ non-disclosure of API on the website. This paper reveals the effect of regulatory regulations, informational control behavioural control on the disclosure behaviours of local governments. Contribution of the study to the literature of public sector studies is prominent as it provides an insight into the factors influencing the non-disclosure of API. The findings of this study share useful contributions to the local government organisations to improve the accountability practices and its disclosure.
Abu Bakar, N. B. (2013). Disclosure of Accountability Information in Public Sector Annual Report: The Case of Malaysian Federal Statutory Bodies. Doctoral dissertation, University of Malaya, Malaysia.
Abu Bakar, N. B., & Saleh, Z. (2015). Review of Literature on Factors Influencing Public Sector Disclosure: The Way Forward. Asian Journal of Business and Accounting, 8(2), 155-184.
Arpit, B. (2012). E-Government and Social Media as Openness and Anti-Corruption Strategy. Research Journal of Management Sciences, 1(1), 48-52.
Agustiningsih, S. W., Murni, S., & Putri, G. A. (2017). Audit Findings, Local Government Characteristics, and Local Government Financial Statement Disclosure. Review of Integrative Business and Economics Research, 6(3), 179-187.
Akbar, R. (2012). Performance Measurement and Accountability in Indonesian Local Government. Doctoral thesis, Curtin University, Australia.
Bovens, M. (2007). Analyzing and Assessing Public Accountability. A Conceptual Framework. European Law Journal, 13(4), 447-468.
Cahaya, F. R., Porter, S., & Tower, G. (2016). Coercive Media Pressures on Indonesian Companies’ Labour Communication. Int. J. Critical Accounting, 8(2), 95-117.
Cendón, A. B. (1999). Accountability and Public Administration: Concepts, Dimensions, Developments in Openness and Transparency in Governance: Challenges and Opportunities. Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Clement, J. (2020). Daily Social Media Usage Worldwide 2012-2019. Retrieved from https://www.statistica.com/statistics/433871/daily-social-media-usage-worldwide/
Creswell, J. W. (2007), Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publication Inc.
DiMaggio, P. J., & Powell, W. W. (1983). The Iron Cage Revisited: Institutional Isomorphism and Collective Rationality in Organizational Fields. American Sociological Review, 48(2), 147-160.
Do, S. J., Davey, H., & Coy, D. (2012). Assessing Accountability of Organisations using the Internet to Report: South Korean Local Government. Journal of Finance and Management in Public Services, 12(1).
Evans, C. (2017). Analysing Semi-Structured Interviews Using Thematic Analysis: Exploring Voluntary Civic Participation Among Adults. SAGE Research Method Dataset, http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781526439284
Grady, M. P. (1998). Qualitative and Action Research: A Practitioner Handbook. Bloomington: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation.
Gray, A., & Jenkins, B. (1993). Code of Accountability in the New Public Sector. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 6(3), 52-67.
Gruening, G. (2001). Origin and Theoretical Basis of New Public Management. International Public Management Journal, 4, 1-25.
Halaby, S. E., & Hussainey, K. (2015). The Determinants of Social Accountability Disclosure: Evidence from Islamic Banks Around the World. International Journal of Business, http://www.craig.csufresno.edu/ijb/Volumes/Volume%2020/V203-2.pdf
Hood, C. (1991). A Public Management for All Seasons? Public Administration, 69, 3-19.
Ismail, S., & Abu Bakar, N. B. (2011). Reporting Practices of Malaysian Public Universities: The Extent of Accountability Disclosure. African Journal of Business Management, 5(15), 6366-6376.
Ivanov, M. (2010). Informational Control and Organizational Design. Journal of Economic Theory, 145, 721-751.
John, K. J. (2017). Demand for Accountability. Retrieved from https://m.malaysiakini.com/columns/387329
Joseph, C. (2010). Sustainability Reporting on Malaysian Local Authority Websites. PhD thesis, Curtin University of Technology, Australia.
Joseph, C. (2011). Factors Influencing the Non-Disclosure of Sustainability Information on Malaysian District Councils’ Website Within an Institutional Theory Framework. Social and Management Research Journal, 8(1), 1-22.
Joseph, C., & Taplin, R. (2012). Local Government Website Sustainability Reporting: A Mimicry Perspective. Social Responsibility Journal, 8(3), 363-372.
Joseph, C., Nichol, E. O., & Jonathan, L. (
In-Text Citation: (Ahmad et al., 2020)
To Cite this Article: Ahmad, D. H. A., Joseph, C., & Said, R. (2020). Reasons for Non-Disclosure of Accountability Practices Information on the Website of Malaysian Local Governments. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 10(3), 292–308.
Copyright: © 2020 The Author(s)
Published by Human Resource Management Academic Research Society (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode