Human Resource Accounting

Journal of International Business and Cultural Studies

Human resource accounting and international developments: implications for measurement of human capital
Maria L. Bullen Clayton State University Kel-Ann Eyler Wesleyan College Abstract Human Resource Accounting (HRA) involves accounting for expenditures related to human resources as assets as opposed to traditional accounting which treats these costs as expenses that reduce profit. Interest and contributions to growth in HRA have been evident in a number of countries. The strong growth of international financial reporting standards (IFRS) is an indication that the environment for international financial accounting is one that potentially encourages the consideration of alternative measurement and reporting standards and lends support to the possibility that future financial reports may include nontraditional measurements such as the value of human resources using HRA methods. Keywords: Human Resource Accounting, Human Capital, Intellectual Capital, International Accounting, International Financial Reporting, International Financial Reporting Standards

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Journal of International Business and Cultural Studies Introduction Human Resource Accounting (HRA) involves accounting for the company’s management and employees as human capital that provides future benefits. In the HRA approach, expenditures related to human resources are reported as assets on the balance sheet as opposed to the traditional accounting approach which treats costs related to a company’s human resources as expenses on the income statement that reduce profit. HRA suggests that in addition to the measures themselves, the process of measurement has relevance in decision-making involving organizations. Although the origins and early development of HRA occurred mostly in the United States, interest and contributions to growth in the field have been evident in a number of other countries. This paper provides

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