Title: Corporate disclosure and intellectual capital: the light side of information asymmetry

Authors: Francesco Caputo; Manlio Del Giudice; Federica Evangelista; Giuseppe Russo

Addresses: Department of Computer Systems and Communications, Masaryk University, Botanická 68a, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic ' Department for Research, University of Rome, "Link Campus", Via Nomentana 335, 00162 Roma, Italy; Paris Business School, 59 Rue nationale, 75013 Paris ' Department of Economics and Law, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Via S. Angelo, Località Folcara, 03043 Cassino (FR), Italy ' Department of Economics and Law, University of Cassino and Southern Lazio, Via S. Angelo, Località Folcara, 03043 Cassino (FR), Italy

Abstract: The paper aims to undertake an in-depth analysis role and contribution of voluntary corporate disclosure and intellectual capital to improve the 'quality' of relationships between companies and the market. Building upon the conceptual framework offered by signalling theory and legitimacy theory, a conceptual approach is used to identify possible advancements in the management of voluntary corporate disclosure and intellectual capital. To support the reflections herein, some evidence of the increasing relevance of human resources and the consequence of participation of human resources in the definition of corporate strategies is analysed in the perspective of information asymmetry. The papers highlight the need for companies: (1) to develop approaches better able to 'feel' the market; (2) to exploit the contribution of human resources in understanding the market; (3) to improve approaches to corporate disclosure based on the contribution of intellectual capital in order to reduce information asymmetry within the market.

Keywords: information asymmetry; intellectual capital; legitimacy theory; signalling theory; voluntary disclosure; corporate disclosure; human resources.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMFA.2016.076668

International Journal of Managerial and Financial Accounting, 2016 Vol.8 No.1, pp.75 - 96

Received: 06 Apr 2016
Accepted: 11 Apr 2016
Published online: 19 May 2016 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article