Digital and Gender Attributes of IC in Sustainability Reporting of Italian Firms

Italian listed enterprises increasingly rely on intellectual capital (IC) to enhance competitiveness and sustainability performance. As IC, comprising human, structural, and relational capital, is rarely recognised in financial statements due to the lack of standardised frameworks, its disclosure has gained relevance in sustainability reporting to address stakeholder expectations. Although prior studies acknowledge the compatibility between IC and sustainability reporting, limited attention has been paid to explicit gender and digital-related IC disclosure, particularly in relation to digital transformation. Drawing on legitimacy, resource-based view (RBV) and stakeholders' theories, this study examines digital and gender dimensions of IC disclosure in sustainability reports. Using content analysis of hand-collected data, it investigates Italian listed enterprises from 2020 to 2025. IC disclosure is measured through a weighted index across human, structural, and relational capital dimensions. The findings show a positive association between IC disclosure and ESG reporting, with firms disclosing digital elements of structural and relational capital, while gender issues remain concentrated in human capital.