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A longitudinal examination of intellectual capital reporting in Marks & Spencer annual reports, 1978–2008

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  • Campbell, David
  • Abdul Rahman, Mara Ridhuan

Abstract

This paper examines the intellectual capital content of Marks & Spencer annual reports over a 31 year period from 1978 to 2008 using a content analysis instrument. Motivated by the gap among prior studies in respect of longitudinal samples, the paper also sets out to note the ways in which the annual report has changed over the three decades in response to the supposed change from the assumption that fixed assets and operations were the key driver of value creation to a belief that knowledge and the stock of intellectual assets had become a more powerful explanation of value-added. The paper finds an overall increase in intellectual capital reporting over the 31 years but notes a particular increase in relational capital reporting and a re-ordering of sub-categories over time. Narrative (as opposed to quantitative) reporting has increased and ‘factual’ (as opposed to opinion and judgement) reporting has decreased. The paper concludes that annual report narratives have reflected a wider change in the market for information among investors and other stakeholders. Whilst the exact nature of these market changes was beyond the scope of this paper, it is concluded that changing patterns of ICR reflect the increased complexity of the messages being conveyed in voluntary reporting. The increased reliance on IC in value creation has, we argue, created a need for narrative of less factual certainty and with more ambiguity and circumspection in describing increasingly complex knowledge assets.

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  • Campbell, David & Abdul Rahman, Mara Ridhuan, 2010. "A longitudinal examination of intellectual capital reporting in Marks & Spencer annual reports, 1978–2008," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 56-70.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bracre:v:42:y:2010:i:1:p:56-70
    DOI: 10.1016/j.bar.2009.11.001
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. David Campbell & Ken McPhail & Richard Slack, 2009. "Face work in annual reports," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 22(6), pages 907-932, July.
    2. Vivien Beattie & Sarah Jane Thomson, 2007. "Lifting the lid on the use of content analysis to investigate intellectual capital disclosures," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 31(2), pages 129-163, June.
    3. Striukova, Ludmila & Unerman, Jeffrey & Guthrie, James, 2008. "Corporate reporting of intellectual capital: Evidence from UK companies," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 40(4), pages 297-313.
    4. Vivien Beattie & Bill McInnes & Stella Fearnley, 2004. "A methodology for analysing and evaluating narratives in annual reports: a comprehensive descriptive profile and metrics for disclosure quality attributes," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 28(3), pages 205-236, September.
    5. David J. Campbell, 2000. "Legitimacy Theory or Managerial Reality Construction? Corporate Social Disclosure in Marks and Spencer Plc Corporate Reports, 1969–1997," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(1), pages 80-100, March.
    6. Niamh Brennan, 2001. "Reporting intellectual capital in annual reports : evidence from Ireland," Open Access publications 10197/2918, Research Repository, University College Dublin.
    7. Natasja Steenkamp & Deryl Northcott, 2007. "Content Analysis in Accounting Research: the Practical Challenges," Australian Accounting Review, CPA Australia, vol. 17(43), pages 12-25, November.
    8. Kittiya Yongvanich & James Guthrie, 2005. "Extended performance reporting: an examination of the Australian mining industry," Accounting Forum, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(1), pages 103-119, March.
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    6. Yingjun Lu & Indra Abeysekera, 2017. "What Do Stakeholders Care About? Investigating Corporate Social and Environmental Disclosure in China," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 144(1), pages 169-184, August.
    7. Beattie, Vivien, 2014. "Accounting narratives and the narrative turn in accounting research: Issues, theory, methodology, methods and a research framework," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(2), pages 111-134.
    8. Elisa Menicucci & Guido Paolucci, 2021. "Forward-Looking Intellectual Capital Information in Integrated Reporting: An Empirical Analysis," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 14(8), pages 167-167, July.
    9. Shahzad Uddin & Javed Siddiqui & Muhammad Azizul Islam, 2018. "Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosures, Traditionalism and Politics: A Story from a Traditional Setting," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 151(2), pages 409-428, August.
    10. FitzPatrick, Mary & Davey, Janet & Muller, Lisa & Davey, Howard, 2013. "Value-creating assets in tourism management: Applying marketing's service-dominant logic in the hotel industry," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 86-98.
    11. Beck, A. Cornelia & Campbell, David & Shrives, Philip J., 2010. "Content analysis in environmental reporting research: Enrichment and rehearsal of the method in a British–German context," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 207-222.

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