Financial reports can be regarded as the primary means of communication between a company’s management and its shareholders. The reports also address all other kinds of stakeholders like employees, suppliers, customers, competitors, governments, potential investors, bond holders and, in a broad sense, the entire society.
One possible way of obscuring corporate information when results are negative, or of being forthcoming in disclosing information when results are good, is to adjust the reports’ readability which can influence understandability as a consequence. There is a broad set of readability formulas that allow defining a level of text difficulty based on linguistic factors like sentence length as well as word length and characteristics.
The underlying research question of this work shall be formulated as follows:
“What influences readability of letters to the shareholders of quarterly reports of publicly listed companies on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange?”
This thesis contributes to existing literature in various ways. On the one hand, it is among the very few works that consider the influence of performance on the readability of German reports and, in addition, sets the focus on quarterly reports. On the other hand, it takes into account the dependence or independence of managers of their shareholders measured by the company’s shareholder structure, industry, share price volatility and the size of firms. Moreover, it is examined whether there is a tendency that reports in different languages tend to have the same relative level of difficulty. In general, the thesis also examines and questions research methods of prior studies in the field of report readability.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Theoretical Framework
- Epistemological and Ontological Considerations
- The Socio-cultural Turn in Education
- Social Practice Theory
- Activity Theory
- Methods
- Case Study Approach
- The BiLieF Project
- Data Collection and Analysis
- Ethnographic Methods
- Data Analysis
- Findings
- The Social Practices of Inclusive Education
- Student Engagement and Participation
- Teacher Identity and Professional Development
- School Leadership and Collaboration
- The Social Practices of Exclusive Education
- Exclusionary Practices and Barriers
- Disengagement and Marginalization
- Power Relations and Inequality
- Discussion
- The Importance of Social Practices in Education
- Implications for Policy and Practice
- Future Directions
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This work aims to provide a critical analysis of the social practices of inclusive and exclusive education. It explores how social practices shape educational experiences and outcomes for students with disabilities, drawing on data from the BiLieF project. The key themes explored in this text include:- The role of social practices in shaping educational experiences and outcomes.
- The interplay of inclusive and exclusive practices within schools.
- The perspectives of students with disabilities, teachers, and school leaders.
- The impact of power relations and inequality on educational opportunities.
- The potential for social practice theory to inform policy and practice in inclusive education.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introductory chapter provides a contextual overview of the study, outlining the research problem, objectives, and theoretical framework. It highlights the significance of social practices in understanding educational experiences, particularly for students with disabilities. Chapter two presents the theoretical framework, delving into key concepts from social practice theory and activity theory. It discusses how these theories can help to analyze the social, cultural, and historical contexts that influence educational practices. The third chapter details the research methods employed in the study, including the case study approach and ethnographic methods. It provides a detailed description of the BiLieF project and the data collection and analysis techniques used. Chapter four presents findings related to the social practices of inclusive education, focusing on student engagement, teacher identity, and school leadership. It explores the factors that contribute to positive and equitable educational experiences for students with disabilities. Chapter five examines the social practices of exclusive education, highlighting the ways in which exclusionary practices and barriers can limit educational opportunities. It discusses the impact of power relations and inequality on the experiences of students with disabilities.Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The main keywords and focus topics of this text are inclusive education, exclusive education, social practices, social practice theory, activity theory, BiLieF project, student engagement, teacher identity, school leadership, power relations, and inequality. These terms encapsulate the primary themes and concepts of the work, providing a comprehensive understanding of the research focuses and key arguments presented.- Quote paper
- BSc. Bernhard Stellner (Author), 2013, Readability of Quarterly Reports on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/215700
