Intellectual capital reporting by the New Zealand local government sector

Abstract

This paper assesses the extent and quality of intellectual capital disclosures in the annual reports of the New Zealand local government sector. This paper makes use of an Intellectual Capital Disclosure index constructed through a participatory stakeholder consultation process to develop a disclosure index which measures the extent and quality intellectual capital reporting in the 2004/2005 annual reports of 82 local government authorities in New Zealand. The final index comprised 26 items divided into three categories: internal capital, external capital and human capital. The results indicate that the reporting of intellectual capital by local government authorities is mixed. The most frequently reported items were joint ventures/business collaborations and management process, while the least reported were intellectual property and licensing agreements. The most reported category of intellectual capital was internal capital, followed by external capital and human capital. The result identify a number intellectual capital items whose reporting could be improved to meet stakeholder disclosure expectations. In the internal capital category this included the disclosure of intellectual property. In the external capital category disclosure concerning ratepayer demographics and licensing agreements could be improved. While the disclosure of most items in the human capital category could be improved, particular attention should be given to disclosure of entrepreneurial innovativeness and vocational qualifications.