Analysing shareholders’ understandibility of financial statements in the territory of Gozo

Abstract

PURPOSE: This study evaluated individual Gozitan shareholders’ extent of readership and understandability of financial statements. It also assessed the effectiveness of educational programmes for Gozitan shareholders and how listening might be effective in enhancing understanding. Finally, it investigated the extent to which psychology and self-actualisation affect Gozitan shareholders’ investment decisions. DESIGN: The objectives of this study were achieved through twelve semistructured interviews which were conducted with individual Gozitan shareholders of MLEs. FINDINGS: Financial statements were not perceived useful, and most shareholders simply flipped through them. Shareholders were mostly interested in the dividends earned and thus the Income Statement was identified as the most widely read section. Pertinently, the perceived lack of usefulness of financial statements could result from shareholders’ lack of understanding. Educational sessions were considered ineffective by most respondents due to time constraints and uneasiness felt about attending such sessions. Educational media programmes are the preferred choice of most individual Gozitan shareholders in terms of inculcating their financial literacy. As a result, repeated instances of listening could enhance shareholders’ understanding. Shareholders were willing to improve their financial literacy but at the same time they were not willing to expose themselves with other investors. CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded that there exists a lack of understanding of the financial statements by individual Gozitan shareholders. Efforts aimed at enhancing financial knowledge should fit the needs of investors being targeted and in this sense Gozitan shareholders are not willing to expose themselves in front of other investors. Therefore, educational media programmes might be effective in terms of improving Gozitan shareholders’ understanding as they would be able to satisfy their self-actualisation needs by listening and learning from their home without having to divulge their identify with other investors. VALUE: Gozo can be categorised as a territory with its own intrinsic characteristics. The value of this study lies in the fact that it is the first to present the experiences, perspectives and specific needs of individual Gozitan shareholders of MLEs.