Culture and intellectual capital: towards a conceptual framework

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 438-453
Author(s):  
Uma G. Gupta ◽  
Nathaniel P. Massa ◽  
Joseph Azzopardi
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Senior Leaders ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cultural Variables ◽  
Classical Work ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Cultural Types ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Organic Culture

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to represent the findings from the first phase of an ongoing research project whose primary goal is to identify the most significant organizational internal and external cultural variables that leverage and enable a firm’s intellectual capital (IC) to make it more competitive in the marketplace. Design/methodology/approach The authors build on their earlier work in which Ulrich’s definition of IC as Competence × Commitment was expanded to include two additional dimensions, Creativity and Culture. The previous model explored the relationship between IC and the following five critical variables: Competence, Commitment, Control, Creativity and Culture. Here, the authors identify the most significant organizational internal and external cultural variables that leverage and enable a firm’s IC to make it more competitive in the marketplace. Findings This paper demonstrates the interplay between different cultural types and levels of business volatility on IC. The authors argue that the more volatile the industry is, the greater the need to secure and capitalize on IC, and the more critical it is for firms to adopt a flexible and adaptive organic culture that encourages the creation and leveraging of IC. Originality/value This framework is original and expands on Ulrich’s classical work on IC. It helps senior leaders and managers explore how to effectively and proactively capitalize on IC and leverage complex IC assets. The preliminary exploration into these convergent strands has provided a foundation to further develop and establish the interrelationships between organizational culture and IC.

Drivers for voluntary intellectual capital reporting based on agency theory

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 264-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viktoria Goebel
Keyword(s):  
Propensity Score ◽  
Agency Theory ◽  
Propensity Score Matching ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Management Report

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the drivers for voluntary intellectual capital (IC) reporting based on agency theory. This study responds to calls for critical investigations of IC reporting utilising Goebel’s (2015a) IC measuring approach to investigate the role of IC value and mispricing for IC reporting.Design/methodology/approachA mandatory management report offers a unique research setting in Germany. The content analysis results of 428 German management reports are used in a regression analysis with leverage, ownership diffusion, IC value and mispricing. Additionally, a propensity score matching approach examines the relationship between IC reporting and IC value.FindingsThe regression results show that companies use voluntary IC reporting to encounter mispricing. IC reporting is negatively associated with leverage, whereas ownership diffusion and IC value show no significant results. The propensity score matching approach is also not significant.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes to strengthening and testing agency theory for IC reporting. As mispricing is identified to play an important role for IC reporting, IC research should account for mispricing.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest to reopen a discussion on the declared aims of the German management report and the international integrated reporting model to provide information on value creation, as IC value shows no link to IC reporting.Originality/valueThis study innovatively links IC reporting to IC value and mispricing to investigate drivers for voluntary IC reporting.

Intellectual capital in Ugandan service firms as mediator of board governance and firm performance

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 300-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Korutaro Nkundabanyanga ◽  
Joseph M. Ntayi ◽  
Augustine Ahiauzu ◽  
Samuel K. Sejjaaka
Keyword(s):  
Firm Performance ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Predictor Variable ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Board Governance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Firm Financial Performance ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating effect of intellectual capital on the relationship between board governance and perceived firm financial performance. Design/methodology/approach – This study was cross-sectional. Analyses were by SPSS and Analysis of Moment Structure on a sample of 128 firms. Findings – The mediated model provides support for the hypothesis that intellectual capital mediates the relationship between board governance and perceived firm performance. while the direct relationship between board governance and firm financial performance without the mediation effect of intellectual capital was found to be significant, this relationship becomes insignificant when mediation of intellectual capital is allowed. Thus, the entire effect does not only go through the main hypothesised predictor variable (board governance) but majorly also, through intellectual capital. Accordingly, the connection between board governance and firm financial performance is very much weakened by the presence of intellectual capital in the model – confirming that the presence of intellectual capital significantly acts as a conduit in the association between board governance and firm financial performance. Overall, 36 per cent of the variance in perceived firm performance is explained. the error variance being 64 per cent of perceived firm performance itself. Research limitations/implications – The authors surveyed directors or managers of firms and although the influence of common methods variance was minimal, the non-existence of common methods bias could not be guaranteed. Although the constructs have been defined as precisely as possible by drawing upon relevant literature and theory, the measurements used may not perfectly represent all the dimensions. For example board governance concept (used here as a behavioural concept) is very much in its infancy just as intellectual capital is. Similarly the authors have employed perceived firm financial performance as proxy for firm financial performance. The implication is that the constructs used/developed can realistically only be proxies for an underlying latent phenomenon that itself is not fully measureable. Practical implications – In considering the behavioural constructs of the board, a new integrative framework for board effectiveness is much needed as a starting point, followed by examining intellectual capital in firms whose mediating effect should formally be accounted for in the board governance – financial performance equation. Originality/value – Results add to the conceptual improvement in board governance studies and lend considerable support for the behavioural perspective in the study of boards and their firm performance improvement potential. Using qualitative factors for intellectual capital to predict the perceived firm financial performance, this study offers a unique dimension in understanding the causes of poor financial performance. It is always a sign of a maturing discipline (like corporate governance) to examine the role of a third variable in the relationship so as to make meaningful conclusions.

The effects of knowledge creation process on organizational performance using the BSC approach: the mediating role of intellectual capital

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 802-823 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gholamhossein Mehralian ◽  
Jamal A. Nazari ◽  
Peivand Ghasemzadeh
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Knowledge Creation ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Success Factor ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Dimensions ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeKnowledge is a key success factor in achieving competitive advantage in the current fast-paced and uncertain economic environment. Several studies in the literature have analyzed the relationship between knowledge creation (KC) and organizational success; however, the mechanisms by which KC leads to accumulation of intellectual capital (IC) and thereby affects various dimensions of organizational performance are understudied. The purpose of this paper is to examine how KC and IC and their relationship influence key dimensions of organizational performance.Design/methodology/approachA research model was developed and tested based on the literature in the areas of KC, IC and organizational performance. This study uses a survey sent to companies in an intensive knowledge-based industry. The balanced scorecard (BSC) approach was used to measure the key dimensions of organizational performance.FindingsThe results from structural equation modeling (SEM) on 470 completed questionnaires received from the pharmaceutical companies in Iran reveal that KC activities lead to the accumulation of organizational IC and IC has a crucial and positive impact on the BSC. Furthermore, the results from the path analysis indicate that IC mediates the effects of KC on the BSC.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study contribute to the extant literature on the relationship between knowledge and organizational performance by demonstrating that knowledge and KC lead to performance when organizations utilize KC activities and leverage them to accumulate IC. Once used effectively, IC will result in a better performance in the knowledge-intensive environments.Originality/valueThis is the first study that investigates how KC contributes to firm performance by incorporating the mediating impact of IC on the BSC. The proposed model and results will help organizations to identify the mechanisms through which KC initiatives improve organizational performance.

Intellectual capital and performance

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 407-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugénia Pedro ◽  
João Leitão ◽  
Helena Alves
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Depth Study ◽  
Global Vision ◽  
Customer Capital ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the predominant classification of intellectual capital (IC), in terms of components, using the literature of reference on the relationship between IC and performance and considering multi-dimensional analysis axes (MAAs): organisational, regional and national. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review (SLR) is presented focussing on empirical studies on IC published in the period 1960-2016. A protocol for action is defined and a research question is raised, gathering data from the databases of: Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar. A social network analysis is also provided to determine the type of networks embracing groups, IC individual components and performance type. Findings Of the 777 papers included in the SLR, 189 deal with the relationship between IC and performance. The paper highlights the greater development of empirical studies starting from 2004; the organisational MAA is the most studied. The most frequently used groups of components in studies dealing with IC’s influence on performance corresponds to a triad of human capital; structural (organisational or process) capital; and relational (social or customer) capital, which determine positively the performance of organisations/regions/countries, but their influence is not linear and depends on various factors associated with the context and surrounding environment. Practical implications This study has wide-ranging implications for politicians/governments, managers and academics, providing empirical evidence about the relationships between the components of IC and performance, by MAAs, and a global vision and better understanding of how those IC components have developed and how they are related to performance. Originality/value Due to the high number of references covering a wide range of disciplines and the various dimensions (e.g. organisational, regional and national) that form IC, it becomes fundamental to carry out an SRL and systematise its MAAs to deepen knowledge about what has been discovered/developed in this domain, in terms of empirical studies, in order to situate the topic in a wider theoretical-practical context. The paper is exceptionally wide-ranging, covering the period 1960-2016. It is one of the first clarifying studies on systemisation of the literature on IC, by MAA, and an in-depth study of IC’s impact on the performance of organisations/regions and countries which may serve as a guideline for future studies using the taxonomy proposed.

Does intellectual capital impact firms' capital structure? Exploring the role of firm risk and profitability

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
A. D'Amato
Keyword(s):  
Capital Structure ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Firm Risk ◽  
Financial Leverage ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Firm Profitability ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between intellectual capital and firm capital structure by exploring whether firm profitability and risk are drivers of this relationship.Design/methodology/approachBased on a comprehensive data set of Italian firms over the 2008–2017 period, this paper examines whether intellectual capital affects firm financial leverage. Moreover, it analyzes whether firm profitability and risk mediate the abovementioned relationship. Financial leverage is measured by the debt/equity ratio. Intellectual capital is measured via the value-added intellectual coefficient approach.FindingsThe findings show that firms with a high level of intellectual capital have lower financial leverage and are more profitable and riskier than firms with a low level of intellectual capital. Furthermore, this study finds that firm profitability and risk mediate the relationship between intellectual capital and financial leverage. Thus, the higher profitability and risk of intellectual capital-intensive firms help explain their lower financial leverage.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings have several implications. From a theoretical standpoint, the paper presents and tests a mediating model of the relationship between intellectual capital and financial leverage and its underlying processes. In terms of the more general managerial implications, the results provide managers with a clear interpretation of the relationship between intellectual capital and financial leverage and point to the need to strengthen the capital structure of intangible-intensive firms.Originality/valueThrough a mediation framework, this study provides empirical evidence on the relationship between intellectual capital and firm financial leverage by exploring the underlying mechanisms behind that relationship, which is a novel approach in the literature.

De verbeelding van moeras en veen

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 292-310
Author(s):  
Lesley Penné ◽  
Arvi Sepp
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Memory ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Regional Identity ◽  
German Language ◽  
Important Place ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Border Regions ◽  
Language Area ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract The Representation of Marsh and Bog: Figurations of the Marshy Soil as a Topos of Community in Contemporary German-Language Belgian Literature Literature from border regions is often characterised by a specific transcultural poetics that reflects the liminal as discourse and experience. In contemporary German-language prose from East Belgium (‘Ostbelgien’), the topological representation of swamp and moor occupies an important place. We will show how swamp and moor express the complex definition of national and regional identity of the German-language area in Belgium and become relevant topoi in regard to cultural memory. Literature can be seen as a privileged medium of criticism for expressing the pressures of the unspoken and the closed and for initiating intra-community public discussions. Through a cultural-historical analysis of the various figurations of bog and moor, we will examine how the relationship between landscape and community is represented and conceived in contemporary Germanophone Belgian literature.

Negative grey relational model and measurement of the reverse incentive effect of fields medal

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sifeng Liu
Keyword(s):  
Grey Relational Analysis ◽  
Research Output ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Relational Analysis ◽  
Fields Medal ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Grey Relational ◽  
Analysis Models ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to construct some negative grey relational analysis models to measure the relationship between reverse sequences.Design/methodology/approachThe definition of reverse sequence has been given at first based on analysis of relative position and change trend of sequences. Then, several different negative grey relational analysis models, such as the negative grey similarity relational analysis model, the negative grey absolute relational analysis model, the negative grey relative relational analysis model, the negative grey comprehensive relational analysis model and the negative Deng’s grey relational analysis model have been put forward based on the corresponding common grey relational analysis models. The properties of the new models have been studied.FindingsThe negative grey relational analysis models proposed in this paper can solve the problem of relationship measurement of reverse sequences effectively. All the new negative grey relational degree satisfying the requirements of normalization and reversibility.Practical implicationsThe proposed negative grey relational analysis models can be used to measure the relationship between reverse sequences. As a living example, the reverse incentive effect of winning Fields Medal on the research output of winners is measured based on the research output data of the medalists and the contenders using the proposed negative grey relational analysis model.Originality/valueThe definition of reverse sequence and the negative grey similarity relational analysis model, the negative grey absolute relational analysis model, the negative grey relative relational analysis model, the negative grey comprehensive relational analysis model and the negative Deng’s grey relational analysis model are first proposed in this paper.

The relationship between intellectual capital and financial statements readability: the role of management characteristics

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Hassan Mohammadzadeh Moghadam ◽  
Zohreh Hajiha
Keyword(s):  
Regression Model ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Hypothesis Test ◽  
Financial Statements ◽  
Multiple Regression Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The present study aims to investigate the relationship between intellectual capital and the readability of financial statements with the mediating role of management characteristics of companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange. In other words, this research tries to find the answer to whether intellectual capital can positively affect the readability of financial statements. Design/methodology/approach A multivariate regression model was used to test the hypotheses for this purpose. The research hypotheses were tested using a sample of 1,309 observations listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange from 2012 to 2018 and a multiple regression model based on panel data and fixed-effects models. Findings The results indicate that intellectual capital has a positive and significant relationship with the readability of financial statements, which means that with increasing intellectual capital in companies, financial statements’ readability also increases. Based on the hypothesis test results, it has been determined that narcissism, accrual and real earnings management have a negative effect on the relationship between intellectual capital and the readability of financial statements. Originality/value Since the present study examines such an issue in emerging markets, it provides users, analysts and legal entities with useful information about management’s inherent and acquired characteristics that significantly impact the purchase of audit opinion. This study’s results also contribute to developing science and knowledge in this field and close the literature gap.

The relationship between corporate governance and intellectual capital

2019 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 384-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amina Buallay ◽  
Allam Hamdan
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Firm Size ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Listed Firms ◽  
Pooled Data ◽  
Structural Capital ◽  
Capital Efficiency ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating role of firm size on the relationship between corporate governance (CG) and intellectual capital (IC) efficiency. Design/methodology/approach The methodology was a pooled data for three years (2012-2014) for 171 listed firms, resulting in 489 observations. Findings The findings revealed that the inclusion of firm size as a moderating variable has influenced positively only the relationship between CG principles and capital employed efficiency (CEE). Further, the finding showed that the two IC components namely, human capital efficiency and structural capital efficiency, tend to be higher with firms that high level of CG adoption. However, CEE tends to be higher with firms that have lower level of CG adoption. Other finding shows that CG index was significant with the three IC components. Originality/value Such information will help the stakeholders, investors, decision-makers, regulators, policymakers and scholars to improve their knowledge about IC. Furthermore, it will be useful for firms to place their priorities regarding the internal system and financial plans for effective and efficient use of CG and IC.

The effects of self-reflection on individual intellectual capital

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1107-1124
Author(s):  
Zhining Wang ◽  
Shaohan Cai ◽  
Mengli Liu ◽  
Dandan liu ◽  
Lijun Meng
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Relational Capital ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Structural Capital ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Individual Human ◽  
Three Components

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to develop a tool measuring individual intellectual capital (IIC) and investigate the relationship between self-reflection and IIC.Design/methodology/approachThis study developed a theoretical model based on social cognitive theory and the literature of self-reflection and intellectual capital (IC). This research collected responses from 502 dyads of employees and their direct supervisors in 150 firms in China, and the study tested the research model using structural equation modeling (SEM).FindingsThe results indicate that three components of self-reflection, namely, need for self-reflection, engagement in self-reflection and insight, significantly contribute to all the three components of IIC, such as individual human capital, individual structural capital and individual relational capital. The findings suggest that need for self-reflection is the weakest component to impact individual human capital and individual relationship capital, while insight is the one that mostly enhances individual structural capital.Practical implicationsThis paper suggests that managers can enhance employees' IIC by facilitating their self-reflection. Managers can develop appropriate strategies based on findings of this study, to achieve their specific goals.Originality/valueFirst, this study develops a tool for measuring IIC. Second, this study provides an enriched theoretical explanation on the relationship between self-reflection and IIC – by showing that the three subdimensions of self-reflection, such as need, engagement and insight, influence the three subdimensions of IIC, such as individual human capital, individual structural capital and individual relational capital.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document