Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore a new way to disclose intellectual capital (IC) in
universities through their websites. Going beyond traditional tools used for intellectual capital disclosure
(ICD), this study aims at identifying possible determinants of ICD via the web.
Design/methodology/approach – This paper analyses the institutional websites of a sample of Italian
universities adapting the theoretical framework developed by Low et al. (2015) to the peculiarities of the
Italian university system. Moreover, the relationship between certain explanatory factors identified in
previous research and the extent of online ICD represented by two disclosure indexes was tested through an
ordinary least squares regression model.
Findings – The analysis reveals the extensive use of ICD via websites, especially regarding human and
internal capital, while the disclosure of external capital through this means is still limited. Internationality and
online visibility both positively affect the extent of a university’s ICD.
Research limitations/implications – The paper represents the first study investigating online ICD and its
determinants in universities, contributing new knowledge to help answer the how and what of the matter.
Practical implications – The results can serve as encouragement to university managers to enhance online
ICD to meet the information needs of a wider audience.
Originality/value – This is the first study to provide evidence about online ICD in universities and to reveal
some of the possible determinants to improve this disclosure.
Keywords Universities, Higher education, Intellectual capital, Disclosure, Internet reporting, Online disclosure
Paper type Research paper