Narrative reporting of intellectual capital by the New Zealand local government sector

Abstract

This exploratory study investigates the extent to which 82 New Zealand local government authorities report intellectual capital in their annual reports. A disclosure index, constructed with the assistance of a 14-member local government stakeholder panel, was applied to the annual reports as part of a content analysis. Findings indicate that the overall level of intellectual capital disclosure was varied, with the majority of disclosures being narrative in nature. Findings also indicate that despite a significant portion of total annual expenditure being attributed to employees/staff, the level of human capital reporting was low.