Human Asset Accounting LO17288

Dr. Mike Kelleher (MichaelKelleher@compuserve.com)
Thu, 5 Mar 1998 05:17:23 -0500

One of our network members has asked me if I knew of any company or
organisation which accounts for the value of its people in its annual
reports. This is more specific than a message about how wonderful the
employees have been and he is interested in whether there are any examples
of attempts to place a financial value on skills and attributes of the
workforce.

I am not aware of any annual reports that have attempted to do this, but I
do know that the European Commission has published documents which suggest
that it is interested in new forms of accounting which allocate value to
training and learning. These documents are only one or two years old and
are policy related and not empirical.

The enquiry raises two issues for me. Firstly, are there any examples
available which could act as cases in human value added practices and
which challenge traditional methods of company accounting? Secondly, what
are the values associated with the possible entrenchment of the view that
humans are resources to be maximised?

Can anybody help with the first? Does anybody have any views on the
second?

Mike

Dr. Michael Kelleher
General secretary
European Consortium for the Learning Organisation
michaelkelleher@compuserve.com

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