Factors affecting human capital disclosure in an integrated reporting perspective
ISSN: 1368-3047
Article publication date: 22 September 2020
Issue publication date: 20 November 2020
Abstract
Purpose
Human capital (HC) represents a particularly important element capable of guiding the firms’ value creation process in the new economy. The purpose of this study is to analyze the level of HC information contained within integrated reports and to identify the variables that influence the HC disclosure policies of companies.
Design/methodology/approach
Research hypotheses, developed on the basis of agency theory, were tested using a regression model on a sample of 137 worldwide companies. A HC disclosure index was designed to examine the level of HC disclosure and a content analysis was used to investigate the integrated reports.
Findings
Results showed a positive and significant impact of firm size, board size, board independence and board diversity on the level of HC information disclosed by companies within their integrated reports. On the contrary, they demonstrated a not significant effect of firm profitability.
Practical implications
Results have important implications for corporate executives, high-level corporate governance, policymakers and investors. They point out additional further motivations for creating larger boards and including non-executive members and women on the board. In addition, investors could use the HC disclosure index to evaluate companies’ HC disclosure policies in their investment decisions.
Originality/value
This study extends the agency theory application scope and extends the analysis of HC disclosure to other corporate documents, namely, integrated reports. Besides, it increases knowledge about the factors capable of influencing HC disclosure, identifying a series of elements capable of directly affecting the level of information that companies disclose.
Keywords
Citation
Raimo, N., Ricciardelli, A., Rubino, M. and Vitolla, F. (2020), "Factors affecting human capital disclosure in an integrated reporting perspective", Measuring Business Excellence, Vol. 24 No. 4, pp. 575-592. https://doi.org/10.1108/MBE-05-2020-0082
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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