Corporate Governance Structure and Intellectual Capital Disclosure: Evidence from Ghana

Author(s)

Felix Kwame Nyarko , Kong Yusheng , Alex Boadi Dankyi , Ethel Dzidefo Asimah ,

Download Full PDF Pages: 19-28 | Views: 1504 | Downloads: 403 | DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.3483321

Volume 7 - February 2018 (02)

Abstract

the main aim of this paper is to investigate the extent of the intellectual capital disclosure and the relationship between intellectual capital disclosure and corporate governance variables in Ghanaian listed firms. We tested the following independent variables comprising the various forms of corporate governance structure: board composition, dual role, size of the audit committee and frequency of audit committee meetings. A sample of 50 firms listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange was selected. The descriptive statistics, content analysis, and a linear regression model were performed to analyze the data. Out of the four (4) variables tested, only the frequency of audit committee meetings has a significant positive relationship in influencing the level of intellectual capital disclosure in Ghana. The result also found 74.67 percent of the selected companies disclosed intellectual capital in their annual reports. However, the extent of the intellectual capital disclosure among Ghanaian firms is still relatively low (about 4.45 percent).  This result also revealed that most of the Ghanaian firms are aware of the intellectual capital disclosure, but however, they are not aware on how to measure, report and disclose this information in their annual report.

Keywords

Corporate Governance, Intellectual Capital, Structural Capital, Human Capital

References

        i.            Akhtaruddin, M., Hossain, M. A., Hossain, M., and Yao, L. (2009). Corporate Governance and Voluntary Disclosure in Corporate Annual Reports of Malaysian Listed Firms. Journal of Applied Management Accounting Research, (Winter):1-20.

      ii.            Anderson, R.H., and Epstein, M.J. (1996). The Usefulness of Corporate Annual Reports to Shareholders in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States: An International Comparison. Studies in Managerial and Financial Accounting, Vol. 4, Elsevier Science, Amsterdam.

    iii.            Bontis, N. (2001). Assessing Knowledge Assets: A Review of the Models Used to Measure Intellectual Capital. International Journal of Management Reviews, 3(1), pp 41-60. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1468-2370.00053 Bontis, N. (2003). Intellectual Capital Disclosure in Canadian Corporations. Journal of Human Resource Costing & Accounting, 7(1), pp 9-20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/eb029076

     iv.            Booth, R. (1998). The Measurement of Intellectual Capital. Management Accounting (UK), 76 (10), pp 26-28.

       v.            Brammer, S., and Pavelin, S. (2006). Voluntary Environmental Disclosures by Large UK Companies, Journal of Business Finance and Accounting, 33(7/8), pp.1168-1188. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-5957.2006.00598.x

     vi.            Brennan, N. (2001). Reporting Intellectual Capital in Annual Reports: Evidence from Ireland. Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, 14(4), pp. 423-436. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09513570110403443

   vii.            Bruggen A. (2009). Intellectual Capital Disclosure: Evidence from Australia. Management Decision Journal, 47(2), pp. 233-245. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/00251740910938894

 viii.            Clemente, A. G., and Labat, B. N. (2009). Corporate Governance Mechanisms and Voluntary Disclosure. The Role of Independent Directors in the Boards of Listed Spanish Firms. Research Projects of Madrid Autonomous University.

     ix.            Cotter, J., and Silverster, M. (2003). Board and Monitoring Committee Independence. Abacus, 39(2), pp. 211-232. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-6281.00127

       x.            Edvinson, L., and Malone, M. (1997). Intellectual Capital: The Proven Way to Establish Your Company’s Real Value by Measuring Its Hidden Brain Power, Piatkus, London.

     xi.            Forker, J. J. (1992). Corporate Governance and Disclosure Quality. Accounting and Business Research, 22(86), pp. 111-124.

   xii.            Garcia-Meca, E., and Martinez, I. (2005). Assessing the Quality of Disclosure on Intangibles in the Spanish Capital Market. European Business Review, 17(4), pp. 305-313. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09555340510607352

 xiii.            Goh, P.C. (2005). Intellectual Capital Performance of Commercial Banks in Malaysia. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 6(3), 385-396. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14691930510611120

 xiv.            Guthrie, J., and Petty, R. (2000). Intellectual Capital: Australian Annual Reporting Practices. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 1(2/3), pp. 241-51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14691930010350800

   xv.            Haniffa, M. R., and Cooke T. E. (2005). The Impact of Culture and Governance on Corporate Social Reporting, Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, 24 pp. 391-430. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaccpubpol.2005.06.001

 xvi.            Ho, S. S. M., and Wong, K. S. (2001). A Study of the Relationship between Corporate Governance Structures and the Extent of Voluntary Disclosure. Journal of International Accounting, Auditing & Taxation, 10(2), pp. 139-156. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1061-9518(01)00041-6

xvii.            Kavida, V., and Sivakoumar. N. (2008). Corporate Governance in Knowledge Economy. The Relevance of Intellectual Capital. Research Project, Pondicherry, India.

xviii.            Keenan, J., and Aggestam, M. (2001). Corporate Governance and Intellectual Capital: Some Conceptualisations. Corporate Governance, 9(4), pp.259-275. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1467-8683.00254

 xix.            Li, J., Pike, R., and Haniffa, R. (2008). Intellectual Capital Disclosure and Corporate Governance Structure in

   xx.            UK      Firms. Accounting      and      Business          Research,        38(2),   pp.137-159. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00014788.2008.9663326

 xxi.            Low, J., and Kalafut. (2002). Invisible Advantage – How Intangibles are Driving Business Performance. Perseus Publishing, Cambridge.  

xxii.            Mangena, M., and Pike, R. (2005). The Effect of Audit Committee Shareholding, Financial Expertise and Size on Interim Financial Disclosures. Accounting and Business Research, 35 (4), pp. 327-349.

xxiii.            Marr, B., Mouritsen, J., and Bukh, P.N. (2003). Perceived Wisdom. Financial Management, July/August, p. 32.

xxiv.            Olson, J. (1999). How to Make Audit Committees More Effective. Business Lawyer, 54, pp. 1097-1113.

xxv.            Ousama A. (2007). The Trends and Determinants of Intellectual Capital Disclosure by Malaysian Listed Companies. Unpublished master’s thesis, IIUM, Malaysia.

xxvi.            Patelli, L., and Prencipe, A. (2007). The Relationship between Voluntary Disclosure and Independent Directors in the Presence of a Dominant Shareholder. European Accounting Review, 16(1), pp.5-33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09638180701265820

xxvii.            Ruth L. Hidalgo, Garcia-Meca, E., and Martinez, I. (2011). Corporate Governance and Intellectual Capital Disclosure, Journal of Business Ethics, 100, pp. 483-495. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-010-0692-x

xxviii.            Striukova, L., Unerman, J., and Guthrie, J. (2008). Corporate Reporting of Intellectual Capital: Evidence from UK Companies. The British Accounting Review, 40(4), pp.297-313. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bar.2008.06.001

xxix.            Taliyang, S.M. (2011). Determinants of Intellectual Capital Disclosure among Malaysian Listed Companies. Unpublished master’s thesis, UUM, Malaysia.

xxx.            Tan, L.T. (2000). Financial Accounting Reporting in Malaysia. Professional Advancement Achievement Centre, Kuala Lumpur.

xxxi.            Vergauwen, P.G.M.C., and Van Alem, F.J.C. (2005). Annual Report: IC Disclosure in the Netherlands, France and Germany. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 6(1), pp. 89-104. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14691930510574681

xxxii.            Welker, M. (1995). Disclosure Policy, Information Assymmetry and Liquidity in Equity Markets. Contemporary Accounting Research, 11 pp. 801-828. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1911-3846.1995.tb00467.x

xxxiii.            White G. (2007). Drivers of Voluntary Intellectual Capital Disclosure in Listed Biotechnology Companies. Journal of intellectual capital, 8(3), pp 517-537. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14691930710774894

xxxiv.            Zaludin, Z. (2007). Factors Influencing Intellectual Capital Disclosure: Malaysian Evidence. Unpublished master’s thesis, IIUM, Malaysia.

Cite this Article: