Intellectual Capital Disclosures by Australian Companies

Abstract

This research expands on previous studies of voluntary intellectual capital disclosure (ICD) in Australian company annual reports. Using content analysis it examined the level of ICD in the annual reports of 70 Australian publicly listed firms and also investigated the influence of the company’s characteristics (industry type, ownership concentration, listing age, leverage and auditor type) on the level of ICD. Levels of ICD were low, with external capital being the most frequently disclosed category. Correlation and regression analysis demonstrated that companies that operate in high intellectual capital intensive industries, and companies with large (Big Four) auditing firms show higher levels of ICD. A company’s ownership concentration, leverage level, and listing age did not influence its level of ICD.