The determinants of HC disclosures of Indian firms

Abstract

PurposeHuman capital (HC) disclosures by firms are voluntary as per the GAAPs in most of the countries including India. Therefore, a wide discrepancy exists across Indian firms with respect to their HC disclosures. This paper aims to investigate the extent and determinants of HC disclosure levels of the Indian listed firms in a two‐stage analysis.Design/methodology/approachIn the first stage, a 12‐item index is developed and is used to measure the extent of HC disclosures of 97 listed firms. In the second stage, a regression analysis is carried out to ascertain the determinants of HC disclosure levels of the Indian listed firms.FindingsThe results point out that HC disclosure levels have high variations among the sample firms with information technology firms having highest average HC disclosure levels. Further, regression results indicate that a firm's “size” and “employees' expenses as a proportion of its total operating expenses” have a significant positive bearing on its level of HC disclosure, and “industry affiliation”, “globalisation”, “profitability”, “ownership concentration”, “age”, “structural complexity”, “leverage” and “auditor reputation” do not have significant influence on its level of HC disclosure.Research limitations/implicationsThis study follows a cross sectional design. A longitudinal study would have the potential to determine any pattern of changes in extent of HC disclosures over time. Index construction involves subjective judgment. The study assumes that the annual reports are the primary documents available to stakeholders requiring information about the firms.Practical implicationsThe HC disclosure index constructed in this study can be used as a benchmark by the Indian firms to enhance their HC disclosures in future. It can be an aid to the regulators as and when they decide on an accounting standard for HC disclosures. The extent of HC disclosure of individual firms measured by this study can be used by the investors to identify the Indian firms which disclose more HC information. The determinants of HC disclosures can be used by the investors in identifying the other Indian firms (not in the study sample) which potentially may have high HC disclosures.Originality/valueThe study adds to the existing literature by constructing a suitable index to measure the level of HC disclosures in the annual reports of the Indian listed firms. Further, this is the first ever study to investigate the extent and determinants of HC disclosures of Indian listed firms. This study empirically validates a new proposition which has never been tested by any of the existing studies. The new proposition validated is: firm's “employee expenses as a proportion of its total operating expenses” has a significant positive bearing on its level of HC disclosures. Additionally this is the first ever study to use Poisson regression to ascertain determinants of HC disclosure practices.