Accounting Transparency of Non-Governmental Organizations: A Case Study of the Red Cross in China and Spain

Transparencia contable de las Organizaciones No Gubernamentales: Estudio de caso de Cruz Roja Española y Cruz Roja China

Mingming Zhang (), Manuela Cañizares Espada (), Raquel Pérez Estébanez () and Elena Urquia-Grande ()
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Mingming Zhang: Universidad Complutense de Madrid, España.
Manuela Cañizares Espada: Universidad Complutense de Madrid, España.
Raquel Pérez Estébanez: Universidad Complutense de Madrid, España.

REVESCO: Revista de estudios cooperativos, 2020, issue 135, e69189

Abstract: Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are becoming increasingly involved in international affairs, while facing a growing deficit of confidence due to an environment of information opacity. This situation not only affects NGO financing but also decreases general public confidence in NGOs, influencing their sustainability. Transparency in NGOs is thus important. This study conceptualizes accounting transparency and its evaluation methods through a comparative case study of the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) and the Spanish Red Cross. The study assesses the organizations’ levels of transparency and the importance of regulations to the dissemination of information. The comparative analysis through the two NGOs’ websites demonstrates the importance of the regulations for ensuring transparency of these bodies (determining which type of information is voluntary and which is mandatory). Although the NGOs compared do not differ greatly in degree of transparency, they do not publish exactly the same information, especially in the financial area, the most essential area for inspiring donor confidence. This study thus offers an interesting and valuable contribution for both academics and professionals.

Keywords: Transparency; NGOs; Red Cross; Case study; Regulations; China; Spain.; Transparencia; ONGs; Cruz Roja; Estudio de caso; Regulaciones; China; España. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L31 O57 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ucm:reveco:y:2020:i:135:p:e69189

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DOI: 10.5209/reve.69189

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