Financial Transparency in the Web 2.0 Era. An Analysis of the use of Websites and Social Media by Spanish Municipalities
The objective of this paper is to evaluate the role of websites and social media (SM) in increasing local government financial transparency. The research includes 60 Spanish municipalities classified into 4 population levels and combines quantitative and qualitative analyses: a website content exami...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Universidad de Murcia
2020-07-01
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| Series: | Revista de Contabilidad: Spanish Accounting Review |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://revistas.um.es/rcsar/article/view/371951 |
| _version_ | 1818756827443101696 |
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| author | Sonia Royo Montañés Ana Yetano Javier García-Lacalle |
| author_facet | Sonia Royo Montañés Ana Yetano Javier García-Lacalle |
| author_sort | Sonia Royo Montañés |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The objective of this paper is to evaluate the role of websites and social media (SM) in increasing local government financial transparency. The research includes 60 Spanish municipalities classified into 4 population levels and combines quantitative and qualitative analyses: a website content examination; an exploration of the use of SM platforms; and an in-depth study of the content published in Facebook and Twitter over a one-year period. Results show that Spanish municipalities still have to make important efforts to increase their levels of financial transparency. Disclosures are mainly focused on budgetary information. The use of Facebook and Twitter by municipalities has become commonplace. However, their use for financial disclosures is underdeveloped. Most of the biggest cities have created open data portals although the disclosure of budgetary and financial datasets is limited. Municipalities have to make important efforts to comply with new demands and requirements for financial transparency. Measures should be taken to enhance transparency, particularly among medium and small municipalities. A definition of clear, structured, understandable and reusable information is needed in order to provide a common disclosure framework for public sector entities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T06:01:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-315993db14344135a5cd7b4af3a369f3 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1138-4891 1988-4672 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T06:01:14Z |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | Universidad de Murcia |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revista de Contabilidad: Spanish Accounting Review |
| spelling | doaj.art-315993db14344135a5cd7b4af3a369f32022-12-21T21:18:40ZengUniversidad de MurciaRevista de Contabilidad: Spanish Accounting Review1138-48911988-46722020-07-0123210.6018/rcsar.371951Financial Transparency in the Web 2.0 Era. An Analysis of the use of Websites and Social Media by Spanish MunicipalitiesSonia Royo MontañésAna YetanoJavier García-LacalleThe objective of this paper is to evaluate the role of websites and social media (SM) in increasing local government financial transparency. The research includes 60 Spanish municipalities classified into 4 population levels and combines quantitative and qualitative analyses: a website content examination; an exploration of the use of SM platforms; and an in-depth study of the content published in Facebook and Twitter over a one-year period. Results show that Spanish municipalities still have to make important efforts to increase their levels of financial transparency. Disclosures are mainly focused on budgetary information. The use of Facebook and Twitter by municipalities has become commonplace. However, their use for financial disclosures is underdeveloped. Most of the biggest cities have created open data portals although the disclosure of budgetary and financial datasets is limited. Municipalities have to make important efforts to comply with new demands and requirements for financial transparency. Measures should be taken to enhance transparency, particularly among medium and small municipalities. A definition of clear, structured, understandable and reusable information is needed in order to provide a common disclosure framework for public sector entities.https://revistas.um.es/rcsar/article/view/371951Financial transparencyInternet Financial Reporting (IFR)municipalitiessocial media (SM)Web 2.0 |
| spellingShingle | Sonia Royo Montañés Ana Yetano Javier García-Lacalle Financial Transparency in the Web 2.0 Era. An Analysis of the use of Websites and Social Media by Spanish Municipalities Revista de Contabilidad: Spanish Accounting Review Financial transparency Internet Financial Reporting (IFR) municipalities social media (SM) Web 2.0 |
| title | Financial Transparency in the Web 2.0 Era. An Analysis of the use of Websites and Social Media by Spanish Municipalities |
| title_full | Financial Transparency in the Web 2.0 Era. An Analysis of the use of Websites and Social Media by Spanish Municipalities |
| title_fullStr | Financial Transparency in the Web 2.0 Era. An Analysis of the use of Websites and Social Media by Spanish Municipalities |
| title_full_unstemmed | Financial Transparency in the Web 2.0 Era. An Analysis of the use of Websites and Social Media by Spanish Municipalities |
| title_short | Financial Transparency in the Web 2.0 Era. An Analysis of the use of Websites and Social Media by Spanish Municipalities |
| title_sort | financial transparency in the web 2 0 era an analysis of the use of websites and social media by spanish municipalities |
| topic | Financial transparency Internet Financial Reporting (IFR) municipalities social media (SM) Web 2.0 |
| url | https://revistas.um.es/rcsar/article/view/371951 |
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