The fall and rise of intellectual capital accounting: new prospects from the Big Data revolution

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 381-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo La Torre ◽  
Vida L. Botes ◽  
John Dumay ◽  
Michele Antonio Rea ◽  
Elza Odendaal
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
User Interaction ◽  
Security And Privacy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Accounting Research ◽  
Science Theory ◽  
Practical Factors

Purpose As Big Data is creating new underpinnings for organisations’ intellectual capital (IC) and knowledge management, this paper aims to analyse the implications of Big Data for IC accounting to provide new conceptual and practical insights about the future of IC accounting. Design/methodology/approach Based on a conceptual framework informed by decision science theory, the authors explain the factors supporting Big Data’s value and review the academic literature and practical evidence to analyse the implications of Big Data for IC accounting. Findings In reflecting on Big Data’s ability to supply a new value for IC and its implications for IC accounting, the authors conclude that Big Data represents a new IC asset, and this represents a rationale for a renewed wave of interest in IC accounting. IC accounting can contribute to understand the determinants of Big Data’s value, such as data quality, security and privacy issues, data visualisation and users’ interaction. In doing so, IC measurement, reporting and auditing need to keep focusing on how human capital and organisational and technical processes (structural capital) can unlock or even obstruct Big Data’s value for IC. Research limitations/implications The topic of Big Data in IC and accounting research is in its infancy; therefore, this paper acts at a normative level. While this represents a research limitation of the study, it is also a call for future empirical studies. Practical implications Once again, practitioners and researchers need to face the challenge of avoiding the trap of IC accountingisation to make IC accounting relevant for the Big Data revolution. Within the euphoric and utopian views of the Big Data revolution, this paper contributes to enriching awareness about the practical factors underpinning Big Data’s value for IC and foster the cognitive and behavioural dynamic between data, IC information and user interaction. Social implications The paper is relevant to prepares, users and auditors of financial statements. Originality/value This paper aims to instill a novel debate on Big Data into IC accounting research by providing new avenues for future research.

scholarly journals Transforming the stakeholders’ Big Data for intellectual capital management

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 420-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorna Uden ◽  
Pasquale Del Vecchio
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Activity Theory ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Value Creation ◽  
Organizational Values ◽  
Service Science ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Ecosystems

PurposeThis paper aims to define a conceptual framework for transforming Big Data into organizational value by focussing on the perspectives of service science and activity theory. In coherence with the agenda on evolutionary research on intellectual capital (IC), the study also provides momentum for researchers and scholars to explore emerging trends and implications of Big Data for IC management.Design/methodology/approachThe paper adopts a qualitative and integrated research method based on a constructive review of existing literature related to IC management, Big Data, service science and activity theory to identify features and processes of a conceptual framework emerging at the intersection of previously identified research topics.FindingsThe proposed framework harnesses the power of Big Data, collectively created by the engagement of multiple stakeholders based on the concepts of service ecosystems, by using activity theory. The transformation of Big Data for IC management addresses the process of value creation based on a set of critical dimensions useful to identify goals, main actors and stakeholders, processes and motivations.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper indicates how organizational values can be created from Big Data through the co-creation of value in service ecosystems. Activity theory is used as theoretical lens to support IC ecosystem development. This research is exploratory; the framework offers opportunities for refinement and can be used to spearhead directions for future research.Practical implicationsThe paper proposes a framework for transforming Big Data into organizational values for IC management in the context of entrepreneurial universities as pivotal contexts of observation that can be replicated in different fields. The framework provides guidelines that can be used to help organizations intending to embark on the emerging paradigm of Big Data for IC management for their competitive advantages.Originality/valueThe paper’s originality is in bringing together research from Big Data, value co-creation from service ecosystems and activity theory to address the complex issues involved in IC management. A further element of originality offered involves integrating such multidisciplinary perspectives as a lens for shaping the complex process of value creation from Big Data in relationship to IC management. The concept of how IC ecosystems can be designed is also introduced.

Protecting a new Achilles heel: the role of auditors within the practice of data protection

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo La Torre ◽  
Vida Lucia Botes ◽  
John Dumay ◽  
Elza Odendaal
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Data Protection ◽  
Data Security ◽  
Security And Privacy ◽  
Legal Responsibility ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Privacy Concerns ◽  
Digital Ecosystem

Purpose Privacy concerns and data security are changing the risks for businesses and organisations. This indicates that the accountability of all governance participants changes. This paper aims to investigate the role of external auditors within data protection practices and how their role is evolving due to the current digital ecosystem. Design/methodology/approach By surveying the literature, the authors embrace a practice-oriented perspective to explain how data protection practices emerge, exist and occur and examine the auditors’ position within data protection. Findings Auditors need to align their tasks to the purpose of data protection practices. Accordingly, in accessing and using data, auditors are required to engage moral judgements and follow ethical principles that go beyond their legal responsibility. Simultaneously, their accountability extends to data protection ends for instilling confidence that security risks are properly managed. Due to the changing technological conditions under, which auditors operate, the traditional auditors’ task of hearing and verifying extend to new phenomena that create risks for businesses. Thus, within data protection practices, auditors have the accountability to keep interested parties informed about data security and privacy risks, continue to transmit signals to users and instill confidence in businesses. Research limitations/implications The normative level of the study is a research limitation, which calls for future empirical research on how Big Data and data protection is reshaping accounting and auditing practices. Practical implications This paper provides auditing standard setters and practitioners with insights into the redefinitions of auditing practices in the era of Big Data. Social implications Recent privacy concerns at Facebook have sent warning signals across the world about the risks posed by in Big Data systems in terms of privacy, to those charged with governance of organisations. Auditors need to understand these privacy issues to better serve their clients. Originality/value This paper contributes to triggering discussions and future research on data protection and privacy in accounting and auditing research, which is an emerging, yet unresearched topic.

scholarly journals GrandBase: generating actionable knowledge from Big Data

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiu Susie Fang ◽  
Quan Z. Sheng ◽  
Xianzhi Wang ◽  
Anne H.H. Ngu ◽  
Yihong Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Knowledge Extraction ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Actionable Knowledge ◽  
True Value ◽  
Truth Discovery

Purpose This paper aims to propose a system for generating actionable knowledge from Big Data and use this system to construct a comprehensive knowledge base (KB), called GrandBase. Design/methodology/approach In particular, this study extracts new predicates from four types of data sources, namely, Web texts, Document Object Model (DOM) trees, existing KBs and query stream to augment the ontology of the existing KB (i.e. Freebase). In addition, a graph-based approach to conduct better truth discovery for multi-valued predicates is also proposed. Findings Empirical studies demonstrate the effectiveness of the approaches presented in this study and the potential of GrandBase. The future research directions regarding GrandBase construction and extension has also been discussed. Originality/value To revolutionize our modern society by using the wisdom of Big Data, considerable KBs have been constructed to feed the massive knowledge-driven applications with Resource Description Framework triples. The important challenges for KB construction include extracting information from large-scale, possibly conflicting and different-structured data sources (i.e. the knowledge extraction problem) and reconciling the conflicts that reside in the sources (i.e. the truth discovery problem). Tremendous research efforts have been contributed on both problems. However, the existing KBs are far from being comprehensive and accurate: first, existing knowledge extraction systems retrieve data from limited types of Web sources; second, existing truth discovery approaches commonly assume each predicate has only one true value. In this paper, the focus is on the problem of generating actionable knowledge from Big Data. A system is proposed, which consists of two phases, namely, knowledge extraction and truth discovery, to construct a broader KB, called GrandBase.

Reflections on interdisciplinary accounting research: the state of the art of intellectual capital

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (8) ◽  
pp. 1257-1264 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Dumay
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Advanced Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Accounting Research ◽  
Current State ◽  
Level Of Knowledge

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to offer reflections and critique not only on the current state of the art for intellectual capital research (ICR) from an interdisciplinary accounting research (IAR) perspective, but also its future directions. Design/methodology/approach – This paper offers a critical reflection based on the author's observations as an IC researcher, reviewer and editor. The author also supports the arguments with some evidence from the research about IC research. Findings – The author argues that most ICR is falling short of achieving “the most advanced level of knowledge and technology” of the art because it inherits flaws from prior research, thus threatening its legitimacy and impact. Research limitations/implications – The author argues that researchers need to go back to the methodological drawing board when designing IAR so future research can achieve its full potential. To do so researchers also need their research to be transformational to engender change, and to be transdisciplinary, which encompasses research beyond the current boundaries of accounting and management. Originality/value – The author identifies and introduces three research shortcuts that prevent ICR projects from being state of the art being copycat, Furphy and technophobic research which provide insights into why not all ICR research is not “state of the art”.

Reflections on interdisciplinary critical intellectual capital accounting research

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (8) ◽  
pp. 2282-2306 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Dumay ◽  
James Guthrie
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Human Condition ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Needs ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Accounting Research ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Status

Purpose In 2001, the Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal (AAAJ) published a special issue entitled “Managing, measuring and reporting intellectual capital for the new millennium”. After 20 years, we revisit the eight articles in this special issue to trace early developments in interdisciplinary intellectual capital (IC) accounting research, link these developments to the current state of play, and set out an agenda for future research. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach This paper, written reflectively, includes an impact assessment of the articles using citation analysis and a thematic framing of the prominent issues they discussed. We critically reflect on the status of these eight foundational papers after 20 years, before presenting propositions for a multidisciplinary IC research future. Findings We find that IC research needs to extend beyond organisational boundaries to help improve human rights, human dignity and the human condition as part of the wider interdisciplinary accounting project. We argue that fifth stage IC research can assist because it explores beyond organisational boundaries and helps address the wicked problems of the world. Research limitations/implications This paper only investigates the themes found in the AAAJ special issue. However, the implications for researchers are intended to be transformational because, to go forward and help resolve the material issues facing society and the planet, researchers need to move from being observers to participants. Originality/value We argue that IC researchers must embrace both interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary IC research. This requires IC researchers to reflect on what they are trying to achieve and which issues facing the planet are material.

Achieving data security and privacy across healthcare applications using cyber security mechanisms

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 979-995
Author(s):  
Shanying Zhu ◽  
Vijayalakshmi Saravanan ◽  
BalaAnand Muthu
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Big Data ◽  
Information Security ◽  
Cyber Security ◽  
Security And Privacy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Healthcare Applications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Environmental Controls

Purpose Currently, in the health-care sector, information security and privacy are increasingly important issues. The improvement in information security is highlighted in adopting digital patient records based on regulation, providers’ consolidation, and the growing need to exchange information among patients, providers, and payers. Design/methodology/approach Big data on health care are likely to improve patient outcomes, predict epidemic outbreaks, gain valuable insights, prevent diseases, reduce health-care costs and improve analysis of the quality of life. Findings In this paper, the big data analytics-based cybersecurity framework has been proposed for security and privacy across health-care applications. It is vital to identify the limitations of existing solutions for future research to ensure a trustworthy big data environment. Furthermore, electronic health records (EHR) could potentially be shared by various users to increase the quality of health-care services. This leads to significant issues of privacy that need to be addressed to implement the EHR. Originality/value This framework combines several technical mechanisms and environmental controls and is shown to be enough to adequately pay attention to common threats to network security.

Back to the future of intellectual capital research: a systematic literature review

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (11) ◽  
pp. 2502-2583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugénia Pedro ◽  
João Leitão ◽  
Helena Alves
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Levels Of Analysis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multiple Dimensions ◽  
Different Levels

PurposeFor better mapping the path of intellectual capital (IC) research, the purpose of this paper is to selectively review empirical studies of IC published, and identify theories, components and three dimensions of analysis: national IC (NIC), regional IC (RIC) and organizational IC (OIC).Design/methodology/approachThe systematic literature review (SLR) subject to analysis is based on empirical studies made between 1960 and 2016, and focuses on three dimensions of analysis: NIC, RIC and OIC. Four research questions were designed, using the following databases, namely, Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar, for data collection purposes.FindingsThe SLR unveils a multidimensional taxonomy for measuring and classifying the type of IC applicable to the different levels of analysis and provides some recommendations for future studies of NIC, RIC and OIC, by outlining the need for clear definitions of components and measures of IC and identifying strengths, limitations and future research avenues.Originality/valueIn order to fill the gap found in the literature and the non-existence of a study clarifying the multiple dimensions of analysis of IC, this SLR makes a twofold, original contribution to the literature on management: providing an SLR of the main empirical studies dealing with different units of analysis; and identifying a multidimensional taxonomy for measuring and classifying the type of IC applicable to the different levels of analysis.

Intellectual capital in the age of Big Data: establishing a research agenda

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 242-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giustina Secundo ◽  
Pasquale Del Vecchio ◽  
John Dumay ◽  
Giuseppina Passiante
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Value Drivers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Data Movement ◽  
Value Propositions ◽  
Emerging Issues

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the literature on intellectual capital (IC) in light of the emerging paradigm of Big Data. Through a literature review, this paper provides momentum for researchers and scholars to explore the emerging trends and implications of the Big Data movement in the field of IC. Design/methodology/approach A literature review highlights novel and emerging issues in IC and Big Data research, focussing on: IC for organisational value, the staged evolution of IC research, and Big Data research from the technological to the managerial paradigm. It is expected that identifying these contributions will help establish future research directions. Findings A conceptual multi-level framework demonstrates how Big Data validates the need to shift the focus of IC research from organisations to ecosystems. The framework is organised into four sections: “why” – the managerial reasons for incorporating Big Data into IC; “what” – the Big Data typologies that enhance IC practice; “who” – the stakeholders involved in and impacted by Big Data IC value creation; and “how” – the Big Data processes suitable for IC management. Research limitations/implications The paper provides many avenues for future research in this emerging area of investigation. The key research questions posed aim to advance the contribution of Big Data to research on IC approaches. Practical implications The paper outlines the socio-economic value of Big Data generated by and about organisational ecosystems. It identifies opportunities for existing companies to renew their value propositions through Big Data, and discusses new tools for managing Big Data to support disclosing IC value drivers and creating new intangible assets. Originality/value This paper investigates the effects and implications Big Data offers for IC management, in support of the fourth stage of IC research. Additionally, it provides an original interpretation of IC research through the lens of Big Data.

scholarly journals The job demands-resources model and the international work context – a systematic review

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 260-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy T.B. Rattrie ◽  
Markus G. Kittler
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Domestic Work ◽  
Job Demands ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
International Work ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Work Contexts

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a synthesis and evaluation of literature surrounding the job demands-resources (JD-R) model (Demerouti et al., 2001) in the first decade since its inception, with particular emphasis on establishing an evidence-based universal application towards different national and international work contexts. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses a systematic review approach following the stages suggested by Tranfield et al. (2003). Based on empirical data from 62 studies, the authors systematically analyse the application of the JD-R model and queries whether it is applicable outside merely domestic work contexts. Findings – The authors find convincing support for the JD-R model in different national contexts. However, the authors also found an absence of studies employing the JD-R model in cross-national settings. None of the empirical studies in the sample had explicitly considered the international context of today’s work environment or had clearly associated JD-R research with the IHRM literature. Research limitations/implications – Based on the wide acceptance of the JD-R model in domestic work contexts and the increased interest in work-related outcomes such as burnout and engagement in the IHRM literature, the study identifies a gap and suggests future research applying the JD-R model to international work and global mobility contexts. Originality/value – This study is the first to systematically assess the application of the JD-R model in domestic and international work contexts based on a systematic review of empirical literature in the first decade since the inception of the model. The study identifies a lack of internationally focussed JD-R studies and invites further empirical research and theoretical extensions.

Intellectual capital disclosure on Twitter – empirical evidence from the world’s largest companies

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Łukasz Bryl ◽  
Justyna Fijałkowska ◽  
Dominika Hadro
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Corporate Disclosure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Philosophy ◽  
Business Units ◽  
Structural Capital ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to examine intellectual capital disclosure (ICD) on Twitter by 60 of the world’s largest companies and explains the main themes communicated to stakeholders. The second objective is to determine which topics provoke most stakeholders’ reactions. Design/methodology/approach The authors perform content analysis on more than 42,000 tweets to examine ICD practices along with the reactions of stakeholders in the form of retweets and “favorites” toward the information disclosed. Findings Intellectual capital (IC) is an important theme in corporate disclosure practices, as more than one-third of the published tweets refer to IC. The world’s largest companies focus on relational capital information, followed by human and structural capital. The main IC themes disclosed were management philosophy, corporate reputation and business partnering. Tweets related to IC are of greater interest to stakeholders than other tweets and provoke more reactions. There is no complete consistency between the topics most intensively disclosed by companies and those that elicit the most vivid responses from the addressees. Practical implications This study offers an understanding of the world’s largest companies’ practices that refer to ICD via social media and has implications for organizations in the creation and use of communication channels when developing a dialogue with stakeholders on topics regarding IC that may lead to better management of IC performance. Originality/value This paper is a response to the call for studies on ICD via social media, which is strongly highlighted in the recent literature concerning future research on IC and until now was almost absent in the field of business units. This research provides in-depth insights into the use of Twitter to disclose IC elements and indicates which fields and topics of this disclosure provoke stakeholders’ reactions, which is a novelty in ICD studies.

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