The IC disclosure in Italian Universities and its determinants

Purpose : The research aims at providing a clear picture of the state of the art in IC disclosure in Italian public universities. It empirically analyses some of the potential factors affecting this kind of disclosure. Design/methodology/approach: The empirical analysis is based on content analysis of financial reports of Italian public universities for the year 2014. A regression analysis (OLS model) is conducted to relate the disclosure index to its determinants, as generally considered by the literature on voluntary disclosure. Findings: The empirical analysis highlights that human capital and internal (organizational) capital are the most disclosed categories of IC. Moreover, the analysis shows that size and board members independence affect IC disclosure in Italian public universities. Research limitations/implications: The analysis is related to financial reporting published in 2014 by Italian public universities. However, the methodology adopted can be replicated in other countries so as to support a deeper understanding of determinants affecting IC disclosure in universities. Originality/value: The paper is the first to empirically discuss the determinants of IC disclosure in universities. Results can be beneficial both for a better understanding of academic IC components and reporting issues and for regulators and standard setters for providing guidelines enhancing this kind of disclosure