Human Resource Accounting and Decision Making in Post-Industrial Economy
Abstract
This study was carried out to investigate the probable effect of Human Resource Accounting on the decision
making process and business valuation method on the premise that firms in post industrial economy operate
within a competitive economic environment which require timely, effective and efficient decisions to ensure
success and survival. The study which is empirical was carried on 16 publicly quoted Nigerian Banks using
the Ex-post facto research design. The instruments of data collection were questionnaire designed on 6 point
Likert scale and validated through peer review with the Crombach Alpha pilot test returning 0.88 and 0.70
respectively for Human Asset and Decision Making variables. The hypotheses were tested with statistical
regression analysis which presented a significant effect of human asset accounting on management decision
at F=121.977 with p value of 0.00 significance while the R2 value and the adjusted R2 returned 0.341 and
0.338 respectively. Based on these findings the study concluded that there is need to value Human Asset and
reflect this value in the financial statement like other intangible assets. This is the only through path towards
complete business information goal congruence.
Keywords: Human Resources Accounting, Human Asset, Decision Making and Post-Industrial Economy
4.0 Conclusion and Recommendations
Considering the result of the statistical analysis which revealed that human asset significantly affects management
decisions as supported by various empirical findings and relevant literatures which also considered employees as
important asset critical to the survival of organisations within the competitive economic environment, there is
need for this assets to be valued and capitalised like other intangible assets, like goodwill that are captured on
organisations balance sheets or statement of financial position.
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Again, since it is now mandatory for companies in most part of the globe to adopt the International Financial
Reporting Standards (IFRS) which has fair value measurement as one of its cardinal requirements in revenue
recognition, it is only wise and proper if the human asset aspect is brought in to balance the effect on the financial
statement. Otherwise, the financial information of organisation based on the current accounting treatment of
employees related cost will continue to be distorted and for this reason decisions based on them might be on a
wrong premise which might adversely affect organisations performance especially in this era of globalisation.
From the aforementioned, this paper recommends the capitalization of all relevant recruitment, training and
development expenditure in line with the treatment for all other assets while the International Financial Reporting
Standards should consider incorporating the capitalization of human assets costs in order to enhance fair reporting
and engender better quality financial information base for decision making in business organisations.