Abstract

The dawn of Internet has resulting in the evolution of financial reporting from the conventional design of theprinted annual report to the contemporary Internet Financial Reporting (IFR). Due to its growth, IFR hasattracted the interest of researchers. However despite the fact that much research have been carried out, theunderstanding of the level of IFR is still vague. The study was an evaluation of the level of IFR focusing on adeveloping country, Malawi. The study used content analysis methodology and an IFR index in examining andmeasuring the level of IFR among the listed companies in Malawi. The study found that 92% of the sampledlisted companies had a corporate website and 61.5% of the same were engaged in IFR however the overall IFRindex was 0.28 indicating low level of IFR. Furthermore, the companies were generally using the traditionalPDF format which lacks flexibility in terms of financial information manipulation that aid decision-making bythe users. The results suggest underutilisation of IFR by the companies, thus more needs to be done to enhanceIFR among the listed companies in Malawi. Preparers need to be aware of what IFR entails and the professionalbodies need to provide the required guidance of the IFR framework.

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