The impact of accounting measurement and disclosure of intellectual capital IC on inclusion and ranking of companies in Egyptian Sustainability Index S&P/ EGX ESG – Empirical Study

Objective: The research aimed to study and test the relationship between measurement and accounting disclosure of intellectual capital and corporate sustainability measured by inclusion it in the Egyptian Sustainability Index S&P EGX ESG on one hand and continuity on the other hand as evidence of sustainability. The research aimed also to what extent this relationship is affected by the sector type, debt ratio and company size.
Design and Methodology: The research relied on analysis content of financial reports for (70) companies listed in the Egyptian Sustainability Index during the period from 2011 to 2020, equivalent to (700) observations for each variable of the study. Four statistical models have been designed: The first and second models are based on binary logistic regression to study the impact of accounting for intellectual capital on the inclusion or non-inclusion of the company in the Egyptian Sustainability Index S&P/ EGX ESG. The third and fourth models use ordinal logistic regression to measure the impact of intellectual capital accounting on the company's inclusion’s rank in the Egyptian S&P/ EGX ESG Sustainability Index.
Results and recommendations: The results of the study indicated that there is a positive and significant relationship between the modified added value of the intellectual coefficient and the sustainability index in the two models, whether the measurement was done in total or in detail. The results also showed a positive and significant relationship between the level of voluntary disclosure of intellectual capital and the sustainability of the companies listed in the sustainability index during the study period, both in terms of listing and the rank of listing in the index. Therefore, the researcher recommends that both academics and practitioners of the accounting profession should pay attention to setting standards and frameworks that enable companies to account for intellectual capital - measurement and disclosure, which enhances its sustainability and increases the possibility of its inclusion in the Egyptian sustainability index, in addition to increasing its continuity in the index.
Originality and addition: This research establishes intellectual capital in the accounting literature and its relationship with sustainable development. It also contributes to activating the Egyptian Stock Exchange - one of the emerging financial markets - by directing companies to the importance of accounting measurement and disclosure of intellectual capital to enhance sustainability, and hence achieving Egypt's vision in 2030 to reach a high level of sustainability for the Egyptian Stock Exchange.