Intellectual capital between measurement and reporting: a structured literature review

Abstract

PurposeIn the past decade, intellectual capital (IC) measurement and reporting have been feeding scientific debate; however, only few studies address these issues together. The present research aims to provide an integrated view of the topics covered by the existing literature and to highlight the emerging research trends and set the agenda for future research.Design/methodology/approachThis study develops a structured literature review (SLR) of the extant research concerned with IC measurement and reporting, using a comprehensive sample of 1,021 articles extracted from the Scopus database.FindingsThe findings of the SLR show that the existing literature focuses on seven research areas: IC and public sector; IC university and education; IC evaluation method; internal and external IC disclosure; IC and CSR; management of IC in organizations; other. Overall, findings indicate that IC measurement and reporting are highly researched topics that continue to attract the interests of scholars. Finally, the SLR analysis has allowed outlining a future research agenda, with particular reference to the IC evaluation method and internal and external IC disclosure research areas.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of this research lies in the manual screening of relevant studies, which entails some degree of subjectivity. Furthermore, another limitation research could be considered the use of a single database (Scopus).Originality/valueThe present study brings potential contributions for scholars and practitioners. From a scholarly perspective, the paper provides a systematization of scientific contributions that have dealt with IC measurement and reporting. In particular, it contributes to the scholarly debate bringing into focus various IC measurement and reporting issues in the landscape of private and public organizations. Referring to practical implications, our research supports the strategic use of IC measurement and reporting as a key lever for improving the management of firms. Using an analytical framework that combines insights from the agency, stakeholder and legitimacy theories, this study highlights that IC reporting activity should be used strategically as a means to engage with all firm's stakeholders, in particular with a view to reducing information asymmetry and improving firm reputation.

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“…Generally, IC is defined as the set of skills and experience of the employees of an organization which, together with the information archives, expresses, with a certain degree of reliability, the potential for corporate profit in the long term (Joshi et al. , 2013; Paoloni et al. , 2022).…”

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“…Paoloni et al (2023) conduct a structured literature review on controversial topics regarding IC measurement and reporting in different research areas and background contexts. Their main contribution lies in synthesising the theories of agency, stakeholder and legitimacy to specify the strategic use of IC measurement and reporting as a feasible means for firms to reduce information asymmetry and enhance their reputation.…”

“…Based on these results, they also develop a theoretical model demonstrating the causations and correlations between IC and entrepreneurial orientation, which provides abundant implications for recognising the crucial role of IC in identifying business opportunities in a highly uncertain business environment. Paoloni et al (2023) conduct a structured literature review on controversial topics regarding IC measurement and reporting in different research areas and background contexts. Their main contribution lies in synthesising the theories of agency, stakeholder and legitimacy to specify the strategic use of IC measurement and reporting as a feasible means for firms to reduce information asymmetry and enhance their reputation.…”

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“…In recent years, the number of studies on intellectual capital (IC) has increased rapidly (Dabic et al, 2021;Prencipe et al, 2022;Paoloni et al, 2022bPaoloni et al, , 2023. The literature considers IC as an essential asset that impacts the company's development and innovation (Cabrilo et al, 2020).…”