Narrative Styles in South African CEOs' Shareholder Letters

What is it about?

The paper explores how South African CEOs write letters to shareholders. It compares their writing style and techniques to those of CEOs in big international companies. The study finds that South African CEOs often use optimistic and realistic styles, similar to CEOs in other countries. This shows that even in a developing economy with strong corporate rules, CEOs follow similar norms in their communication. The study also notes that the CEOs' writing styles can be tools for managing the impression they make.

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Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash

Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This research is important because it helps us understand how South African CEOs communicate with shareholders in their letters. By comparing their writing styles to CEOs from big international companies, the study shows that there are similarities. This suggests that even in a developing economy with strict corporate governance standards, CEOs follow similar communication norms. Additionally, the research highlights how CEOs use their writing styles as tools to manage the impression they create, providing insights into corporate reporting practices. Overall, it contributes to our knowledge of how corporate communication aligns with global standards and the role of impression management in CEO letters.