Corporate disclosures 1553-2007 AD: the origin of financial and business reporting by Shankar Jaganathan

This book is organized into four parts. The first part provides the background for studying corporate disclosures. There are two chapters in this part, one on the origin of the company as a form of business organization and the second, the origin of the system of bookkeeping and accountancy. Many of the episodes in the initial parts are from Asia, i.e. India and China and in the later stages, they are set in Europe. The second part of the book deals with the emergence of financial statements which form the bulk of corporate disclosure as they did in the initial period of corporate history. The four chapters in this section deal with the advent of balance sheet, the birth of profit and loss account, other additions like cash flow statements to make the financial statements more comprehensible, and finally, the need for auditing. Most of these episodes are set in the United Kingdom and the United States. In addition to the origin of these financial statements, the extent of details required to be provided by the Indian corporate that is mandated in corporate law today is identified and traced to the events that led to its emergence. The third part of the book deals with non-financial disclosures made by the corporate entities. In this part, three aspects are covered in separate chapters. The emergence of governance as a concept, distinct from management, is traced in the chapter on corporate governance. The third chapter deals with the origin of annual report. The requirement to have Management discussion and analysis of the companys performance and the need for reporting on corporate social responsibility are also covered. Episodes in this part are drawn from Europe, America and the practices of East India Company in India. The fourth and the last part by design is India-centered. It is only after Indian Independence that a distinct Indian corporate law and practice emerged. Prior to this, Indian companies followed the English corporate practices with a few years lag.