Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Italian Web-Based Disclosure: A New Index to Measure the Information Released on Human Capital

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Book cover Reshaping Accounting and Management Control Systems

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Information Systems and Organisation ((LNISO,volume 20))

Abstract

This paper investigates the human capital (HC) disclosure provided by a sample of Italian nonfinancial listed companies on their website. Different from previous studies on HC disclosure, which mainly referred to Sveiby’s model, our disclosure index includes items concerning both the stock of knowledge and capabilities of employees and the human resource management practices. Unlike prior researches, we found a higher level of HC disclosure released by firms, demonstrating that the use of a wider index permits a better understanding of the companies’ disclosure behavior. This study contributes to the literature on HC disclosure in different ways. First, we develop a wider HC disclosure index, which could be used in future studies, and compare our results with findings of previous research. Moreover, this is the first study, to the best of our knowledge, examining HC disclosure provided by Italian companies on their website.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Cormier, D., Aerts, W., Ledoux, M. J., & Magnan, M. (2009). Attributes of social and human capital disclosure and information asymmetry between managers and investors. Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences, 26(1), 71–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Van der Meer-Koistra, J., & Zijlstra, S. M. (2001). Reporting on intellectual capital. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 14(4), 456–476.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Beattie, V., & Smith, S. J. (2010). Human capital, value creation and disclosure. Journal of Human Resource Costing & Accounting, 14(4), 262–285.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Beattie, V., & Thomson, S. J. (2007). Lifting the lid on the use of content analysis to investigate intellectual capital disclosures. Accounting Forum, 31(2), 129–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. AICPA. (1994). Improving business reporting—a customer focus. Meeting the information need of investors and creditors, comprehensive report of the special committee on financial reporting (the Jenkins report). AICPA, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  6. FASB. (2001). Improving business reporting: Insights into enhancing voluntary disclosures. Steering Committee Report, Business Reporting Research Project. FASB, Norwalk.

    Google Scholar 

  7. IASB. (2010). Management commentary, IFRS Practice Statement. IASB, London.

    Google Scholar 

  8. ICAEW. (2000). Intellectual capital: Issue and practice. London: ICAEW.

    Google Scholar 

  9. ICAEW. (2000). Human capital and corporate reputation: The boardroom agenda. London: ICAEW.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Sveiby, K. (1997). The new organizational wealth. Managing and measuring knowledge-based assets. San Francisco: Berret-Koehler.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Petty, R., & Guthrie, J. (2000). Intellectual capital literature review. Measurement, reporting and management. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 1(2), 155–176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Abhayawansa, S., & Abeysekera, I. (2008). An explanation of human capital disclosure from the resource based perspective. Journal of Human Resource Costing & Accounting, 12(1), 51–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Abeysekera, I. (2008). Motivations behind human capital disclosure in annual reports. Accounting Forum, 32(1), 1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Abeysekera, I., & Guthrie, J. (2004). Human capital reporting in a developing nation. British Accounting Review, 36(3), 251–268.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Abeysekera, I., & Guthrie, J. (2005). An empirical investigation of annual reporting trends of intellectual capital in Sri Lanka. Critical Perspective on Accounting, 16(3), 151–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Bukh, P. N., Nielsen, C., Gormsen, P., & Mouritsen, J. (2005). Disclosure of information on intellectual capital in Danish IPO prospectuses. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 18(6), 713–732.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Li, J., Pike, R., & Haniffa, R. (2008). Intellectual capital disclosure and corporate governance structure in UK firms. Accounting and Business Research, 38(2), 137–159.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Oliveira, L., Rodrigues, L. L., & Craig, R. (2006). Firm-specific determinants of intangibles reporting: Evidence from the Portuguese stock market. Journal of Human Resource Costing & Accounting, 10(1), 11–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Marston, C. L., & Polei, A. (2004). Corporate reporting on the internet by German companies. International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, 5(3), 285–311.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Brooking, A. (1996). Intellectual capital. Core asset for the third millennium enterprice. London: International Thomson Business Press.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Edvinsson, L., & Malone, M. S. (1997). Intellectual capital. New York: Harper.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D.P. (1992). The balanced scorecard. Measures that drive performance. Harvard Business Review. January-February.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (1996). Using the balanced scorecard as a strategic management system. Harvard Business Review. January-February.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (2000). Having trouble with your strategy? Then map it. Harvard Business Review. September-October.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Asanga Abhayawansa, S. (2014). A review of guidelines and frameworks on external reporting of intellectual capital. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 15(1), 100–141.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Roslender, R., & Fincham, R. (2004). Intellectual capital: Who counts, controls? Accounting and the Public Interest, 4(1), 1–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. De Pablos, P. O. (2002). Evidence of intellectual capital measurement from Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 3(3), 146–193.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Guthrie, J., & Petty, R. (2000). Intellectual capital: Australian annual reporting practices. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 1(3), 241–251.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Sujan, A., & Abeysekera, I. (2007). Intellectual capital reporting practices of the top Australian firms. Australian Accounting Review, 17(2), 71–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. White, G., Lee, A., & Tower, G. (2007). Drivers of voluntary intellectual capital disclosure in listed biotechnology companies. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 8(3), 517–537.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Brennan, N. (2001). Reporting intellectual capital in annual reports: Evidence from Ireland. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 14(4), 423–436.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Williams, S. M. (2001). Is intellectual capital performance and disclosure practices related? Journal of Intellectual Capital, 2(3), 192–203.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Bozzolan, S., Favotto, F., & Ricceri, F. (2003). Italian annual intellectual capital disclosure. An empirical analysis. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 4(4), 543–558.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Firer, S., & Williams, S. M. (2005). Firm ownership structure and intellectual capital disclosures. Journal of Accounting Research, 19(1), 1–18.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Petty, R., & Cuganesan, S. (2005). Voluntary disclosure of intellectual capital by Hong Kong companies: Examining size. Industry and growth effects over time. Australian Accounting Review, 15(2), 40–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Husin, N. M., Hooper, K., & Olesen, K. (2012). Analysis of intellectual capital disclosure—an illustrative example. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 13(2), 196–220.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Whiting, R. H., & Miller, J. C. (2008). Voluntary disclosure of intellectual capital in New Zealand annual reports and the “hidden value”. Journal of Human Resource Costing & Accounting, 12(1), 26–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Khan, H. U. Z., & Khan, R. (2010). Human capital disclosure practices of top Bangladeshi companies. Journal of Human Resource Costing & Accounting, 14(4), 329–349.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Lin, L. S., Huang, I. C., Du, P. L., & Lin, T. F. (2012). Human capital disclosure and organizational performance. The moderating effects of knowledge intensity and organizational size. Management Decision, 50(10), 1790–1799.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Olsson, B. (2001). Annual reporting practices: Information about human resources in corporate annual reports in major Swedish companies. Journal of Human Resource Costing and Accounting, 6(1), 39–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Pisano, S. (2015). Human capital disclosure in the MD&A statement: An analysis on Italian public utilities. Journal of Human Resource Management. Special Issue: Challenges and Opportunities in the Performance Measurement and Control Systems of Human Resources Management for the Services Industry, 3(2–1), 39–46.

    Google Scholar 

  42. Alvino, F. (2000). Le competenze e la valutazione del capital umano in economia aziendale. Torino: Giappichelli.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Bozzolan, S., O’Regan, P., & Ricceri, F. (2006). Intellectual capital disclosure (ICD). A comparison of Italy and the UK. Journal of Human Resource Costing & Accounting., 10(2), 92–113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Cerbioni, F., & Parbonetti, A. (2007). Exploring the effects of corporate governance on intellectual capital disclosure: An analysis of European biotechnology companies. European Accounting Review, 16(4), 791–826.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Garcìa-Meca, E. (2005). Bridging the gap between disclosure and use of intellectual capital information. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 6(3), 427–440.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Garcìa-Meca, E., & Martìnez, I. (2005). Assessing the quality of disclosure on intangibles in the Spanish capital market. European Business Review, 17(4), 305–313.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Singh, I., & Van der Zahn, J.-L. W. M. (2008). Determinants of intellectual capital disclosure in prospectuses of initial public offerings. Accounting and Business Research, 38(5), 409–431.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Cinquini, L., Passetti, E., Tenucci, A., & Frey, M. (2012). Analyzing intellectual capital information in sustainability reports: Some empirical evidence. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 13(4), 531–561.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. De Silva, T. A., Stratford, M., & Clark, M. (2014). Intellectual capital reporting: A longitudinal study of New Zealand companies. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 15(1), 157–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. Bontis, N., & Fitz-enz, J. (2002). Intellectual capital ROI: A causal map of human capital antecedents and consequents. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 3(3), 223–247.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  51. Roslender, R., Stevenson, J., & Kahn, H. (2006). Employee wellness as intellectual capital: An accounting perspective. Journal of Human Resource Costing & Accounting, 10(1), 48–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Krippendorf, K. (1980). Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  53. Guthrie, J., Petty, R., Yongvanich, K., & Ricceri, F. (2004). Using content analysis as a research method to inquire into intellectual capital reporting. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 5(2), 282–293.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  54. Botosan, C. A. (1997). Disclosure level and the cost of equity capital. The Accounting Review, 72(3), 323–349.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Law, Parthenope University, Naples, Italy

    Sabrina Pisano, Luigi Lepore & Federico Alvino

Authors
  1. Sabrina Pisano
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Luigi Lepore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Federico Alvino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sabrina Pisano .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Sassari University , Sassari, Italy

    Katia Corsi

  2. Macerata University , Macerata, Italy

    Nicola Giuseppe Castellano

  3. Parthenope University of Naples , Naples, Italy

    Rita Lamboglia

  4. Parthenope University of Naples , Naples, Italy

    Daniela Mancini

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this paper

Cite this paper

Pisano, S., Lepore, L., Alvino, F. (2017). Italian Web-Based Disclosure: A New Index to Measure the Information Released on Human Capital. In: Corsi, K., Castellano, N., Lamboglia, R., Mancini, D. (eds) Reshaping Accounting and Management Control Systems. Lecture Notes in Information Systems and Organisation, vol 20. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-49538-5_19

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation