Unlocking intellectual capital

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 305-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Serena Chiucchi ◽  
John Dumay
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Actor Network Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Utility Company ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Analyse Data ◽  
Lock In ◽  
Short Time

Purpose – The intellectual capital (IC) literature argues that introducing the IC concept into a company focusing on measuring can be detrimental and lead to IC “accountingisation”. Using Chaminade and Roberts’ (2003, p. 747) concept of IC accounting “lock-in”, the paper asks “is it possible for an organisation initially to implement and “lock-in” IC accounting practices and subsequently “un-lock” IC through a more strategic managerial approach?” The authors also investigate if and how, after IC has been “un-locked”, can a new IC “locking-in” process occur? The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The authors present an interpretive case study of implementing a system for measuring and reporting IC in an Italian public sector utility company. The analysis uses Actor-Network Theory (ANT) to analyse data and discuss findings which is an appropriate theory for case studies using an interpretive approach. Findings – The findings are contrary to Chaminade and Roberts (2003, p. 733) because the authors challenge the notion “that a dominant accounting perspective can lead to an excessive focus on measurement issues and little attention to management processes”. The evidence from the case study shows how at times a dominant focus on accounting for IC is necessary, especially to allow newcomers to take stock, and make sense, of IC. The analogy is much like comparing accounting vs managing IC to the concept of the chicken and the egg: what comes first? Research limitations/implications – Because the study looks at IC over time, it allows the authors to develop different insights into IC “because IC is not an event, but a journey” (Dumay et al., 2015). Thus, the critique of Chaminade and Roberts (2003) and other IC research based on a short time period is that it does not allow researchers to fully follow the IC’s impact on an organisation. Additionally, the authors also highlight the role academic researchers can play in understanding how IC works inside organisations, especially when the authors examine how deeply (or not) a researcher intervenes in implementing solutions (see Dumay, 2010). Practical implications – The research exemplifies how IC can make a difference for public sector organisations because there is a need for studies such as the authors which exemplify how to introduce the IC concept into public sector organisations and at what point should the IC concept “enter” the organisation (see also Secundo et al., 2015). Doing so re-emphasises that IC is not an ostensive concept. Rather, “IC is part of a configuration of knowledge management and actively mobilised to condition effects” (Mouritsen, 2006) and to make a difference (Tull and Dumay, 2007). Originality/value – This paper is a must read for academics and practitioners seeking to understand how to introduce the IC concept into an organisation.

Public-sector reforms and balanced scorecard adoption: an Ethiopian case study

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 1230-1256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belete Jember Bobe ◽  
Dessalegn Getie Mihret ◽  
Degefe Duressa Obo
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Balanced Scorecard ◽  
Political Ideology ◽  
Performance Monitoring ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Actor Network Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Sector Reforms ◽  
And Performance

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine adoption of the balanced scorecard (BSC) by a large public-sector health organisation in an African country, Ethiopia as part of a programme to implement a unified sector-wide strategic planning and performance monitoring system. The study explains how this trans-organisational role of the BSC is constituted, and explores how it operates in practice at the sector-and organisation-levels. Design/methodology/approach The study employs the case-study method. Semi-structured interview data and documentary evidence are analysed by drawing on the concept of translation from actor-network theory. Findings The case-study organisation adopted the BSC as a part of broader public-sector reforms driven by political ideology. Through a centralised government decision, the BSC was framed as a sector-wide system aimed at: aligning the health sector’s strategic policy goals with strategic priorities and operational objectives of organisations in the sector; and unifying performance-monitoring of the sector’s organisations by enabling aggregation of performance information to a sector level in a timely manner to facilitate health sector policy implementation. While the political ideology facilitated BSC adoption for trans-organisational use, it provided little organisational discretion to integrate financial administration and human resource management practices to the BSC framework. Further, inadequate piloting of information system use for the anticipated BSC model, originating from the top-down approach followed in the BSC implementation, inhibited implementation of the BSC with a balanced emphasis between the planning and performance monitoring roles of the BSC. As a result, the BSC underwent a pragmatic shift in emphasis and was reconceptualised as a system of enhancing strategic alignment through integrated planning, compared to the balanced emphasis between the planning and performance monitoring roles initially anticipated. Originality/value The study provides a theory-based explanation of how politico-ideological contexts might facilitate the framing of novel roles for the BSC and how the roles translate into practice.

Intellectual capital in family firms: human capital identification and measurement

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 199-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrique Claver-Cortés ◽  
Patrocinio Carmen Zaragoza-Sáez ◽  
Hipólito Molina-Manchón ◽  
Mercedes Úbeda-García
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Balance Sheet ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Competitive Advantages ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Based on the literature devoted to family firms and the intellectual capital-based view of the firm, the purpose of this paper is not only to identify the most important human capital intangibles owned by family firms but also to show a number of indicators that can help measure them. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative case-study-based research approach was adopted taking as reference: 25 family firms belonging to different sectors; previous works existing in the literature; and the intellectus model. Findings – The present study identifies ten intangibles associated with the human capital of family firms and shows 60 indicators that can be used to measure them. It additionally provides empirical evidence and gives examples of these intangibles through the analysis of 25 international family firms. Research limitations/implications – The difficulty in collecting all the human capital intangibles of family firms; the problems associated with the creation of accurate indicators; and those specific to the research methodology adopted. Practical implications – Identifying the human capital intangibles of family firms and their indicators can help managers become aware of their importance, and this will consequently help them improve their management. This could be an interesting starting point to value these intangibles in the balance sheet as well as to draw comparisons between family and non-family organisations. Originality/value – The framework provided by family firms sheds light on several intangibles specific to these firms – precisely for their condition as “family” firms. Those intangibles – human capital intangibles being especially highlighted in this study – provide the basis for the achievement of competitive advantages.

Employee engagement creates a brighter economic future at Jupiter Hotels

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Cattermole ◽  
Jaime Johnson ◽  
Diane Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Major Change ◽  
Business Success ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Results ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Hr Managers ◽  
Economic Future

Purpose – This paper seeks to address the role and impact of employee engagement within an organization that has undergone major change. It looks at the issues of how to monitor and increase levels of staff engagement over time to deliver business results. Design/methodology/approach – It draws on six-monthly employee engagement surveys and a case study to illustrate how HR can drive and monitor change through employee engagement. Findings – This paper follows a company through economic uncertainty to major organizational change and examines how the role of engagement and monitoring can drive business success. Research limitations/implications – The case study only looks at the issues over an 18 month time period. Originality/value – This paper illustrates how an HR department can build employee engagement to drive the business forward. The case study offers best practice material for HR managers.

Integrating organisational- and individual-level performance management systems (PMSS): a case study in a large Indonesian public sector organisation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rudy M. Harahap
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Control Systems ◽  
Developing Country ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Performance Management Systems ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Level Performance

Purpose This study aims to comprehensively examine the integration of organisational- and individual-level performance management systems (PMSs) in the context of public sector organisations (PSOs) of developing countries (DCs), by investigating the elements of PMSs in the studied organisation. Design/methodology/approach A case study in a large PSO of a developing country was conducted. The design of the study and the data analysis drew on Ferreira and Otley’s PMSs framework. Data were captured from electronic and printed document archives, online written interviews with participants and face-to-face interviews. The data then were triangulated and analysed thematically. Findings The study reveals a recursive relationship between culture and PMSs, and identifies conflicting regulatory requirements and a lack of information technology capacity led to the development of dual, loosely coupled PMSs in the studied organisation. Research limitations/implications The findings may not be generalisable beyond a large, PSO in a developing country; the study did not consider the linkages between the integration of organisational- and individual-level PMSs and other PMSs; the study looked at only two notions of culture; and the study asked participants to recall past events, so was retrospective in its design. Practical implications The findings illustrate the need for public sector managers and key policymakers to use both formal and informal control systems, together with technical and social integration mechanisms, as well as management accounting (MA) and human resources management (HRM) control approaches, when attempting to integrate organisational- and individual-level PMSs in the PSOs of DCs. Social implications Future studies may usefully investigate the integration of organisational- and individual-level PMSs in different contexts, consider culture and contextual factors when investigating the integration of organisational- and individual-level PMSs in different contexts, examine whether national culture also substantially impacts PMSs in other countries and attempt to inform the MA literature by drawing on HRM theory and research on individual-level PMSs. Such studies may help to address the gap between PMS theory and practice and better allow MA researchers to contribute to practice. Originality/value The study contributes to management control systems (MCSs) and PMSs literature by extending our understandings in the relationship between accounting and non-accounting controls, the contextual factors that affect PMSs and highlighting the importance of considering cultural context when integrating PMSs in the PSOs of DCs.

scholarly journals Enhancing human capital beyond university boundaries

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 434-446
Author(s):  
Maria Jakubik
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Value Creation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Educational Institution ◽  
Master's Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Master Thesis ◽  
External Stakeholders

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a case about the emergence of human capital (HC) during the master thesis as a work-based learning project. Design/methodology/approach The case study uses data from 107 master’s students 2007–2011 and feedback from 91 managers as business advisors 2007–2016. Findings The findings show direct contributions of higher education (HE) to intellectual capital (IC) in organisations through the enhanced HC of managers. Originality/value The case contributes to the emerging new, fifth stage of IC research by demonstrating how HC develops beyond the boundaries of an educational institution; how it influences an organisation’s IC and how 91 business advisors, as external stakeholders, assessed the achievements and value creation of HE.

New frontiers in the use of intellectual capital in the public sector

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 258-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Guthrie ◽  
John Dumay
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
Practice Research ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Sector Research ◽  
Emerging Issues ◽  
Document Review

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of the articles presented in this special issue. The Special Issue is inspired by our recent review of the intellectual capital (IC) literature in Guthrie et al. (2012, p. 74), in which the authors found that the public sector is one of the least addressed areas of IC research. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a literature and published document review, experiential reflections and argument. Findings – The paper reveals that interest in public sector and IC is alive and well and the major difference between public sector and mainstream IC research is a complete lack of normative research. The papers in this Journal of Intellectual Capital (JIC) Special Issue continue that tradition. Research limitations/implications – The authors call on public sector IC researchers to continue the third stage and fourth stage IC research tradition encouraging them to explore emerging issues alongside the changes in the social, political and economic realities impacting public sector IC in the future. Doing so will ensure that public sector IC research is timely, relevant, impactful and contributes to future practice, research, policy and above all, benefits the citizens who need and consume public services. Originality/value – The paper presents a précise of current public sector research and encourages public sector researchers to continue developing research into how IC works.

scholarly journals Using work-based and work-applied learning to enhance the intellectual capital of organisations

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Garnett ◽  
Selva Abraham ◽  
Param Abraham
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Strategic Change ◽  
Executive Education ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Applied Learning ◽  
Learning Capability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Preparation ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to show how work-based and work-applied learning (WAL) can enhance the intellectual capital of organisations. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws organisational learning- and work-based learning literature and case study illustrations. Findings To achieve major strategic change in organisations requires working at senior level within the organisation to develop the capability of the organisation to learn and apply that learning strategically. WAL is explicitly geared to bring about change and enhance the learning capability within the organisation. Research limitations/implications There is a need for further longitudinal studies of organisations that have used the work-based and WAL approaches. Practical implications The conclusions reached have implications for higher education and non-award bearing executive education. Social implications The alignment of individual learning with organisational objectives positions learning as a co-operative part of working life rather than just individual preparation for employment. Originality/value The paper positions work-based learning and WAL as appropriate responses to the learning needs of organisations as well as individuals.

Transmitting competencies at universities in Kazakhstan: intellectual capital of teachers

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 112-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gulbakhyt Sultanova ◽  
Serik Svyatov ◽  
Nurzhan Ussenbayev
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Optimal Level ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Documentary Analysis ◽  
Minimisation Problem

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to measure individual intellectual capital (IC) of academic staff as well as to test its impact on the employability readiness of future graduates and the reduction of the discrepancy between competencies developed and grades obtained with the help of two indicators, i.e. intellectual capital indicator (ICI) and employability readiness indicator (ERI). While ICI measures the level of a teacher’s competencies to be transmitted in the education process, ERI measures the level of a student’s competencies developed after completing relevant courses. Design/methodology/approach This is an empirical research carried out in the form of a case study. Regression model is applied to find the influence of ICI on ERI. The minimisation problem is set with relevant constraints to decrease the discrepancy between ERI and traditional grade point average (GPA). Findings The data were collected at one Kazakh university and from experts from academia and industry by means of documentary analysis, specialised tests and structured interviews. The direct impact of ICI on ERI is confirmed and the optimal level of ICI that permits an effective decrease in the discrepancy between ERI and GPA is identified. Research limitations/implications A longitudinal study covering more programmes is necessary to draw conclusions concerning causality. The application of ICI as a university’s management tool is shown. Originality/value The novelty of this study lies in providing a consistent and simple approach for calculating a teacher’s IC and its impact on a student’s employability readiness.

scholarly journals Human resources – strength and weakness in protection of intellectual capital

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 742-762 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi Olander ◽  
Pia Hurmelinna-Laukkanen ◽  
Pia Heilmann
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Human Resources Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Protection Mechanism ◽  
Critical Knowledge ◽  
Knowledge Protection ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Large Research

Purpose – Human resources in knowledge intensive industries create the basis for continuing innovation and subsequent firm performance. At the same time, they pose risks for the competitiveness of the firm: unwanted leaking of knowledge and intellectual capital to outsiders exposes firm-critical knowledge, and knowledge leaving with a departing key employee may jeopardise the firm’s projects. The purpose of this paper is to examine how human resource management can serve as a protection mechanism to diminish knowledge leaking and leaving via employees. Design/methodology/approach – The authors approach these issues through a case study utilising interview data from 22 interviews within two large research and development intensive firms. Findings – Human resources could be seen both as a strength and weakness of a firm with respect to knowledge protection. The findings indicate that there are numerous practices related to commitment, trust, motivation, and sense of responsibility available to deploy to strengthen loyalty and to improve preservation of intellectual capital. Originality/value – While human resources management aspects have been widely discussed with regard job profitability and efficiency in generating intellectual capital, their connection to knowledge protection has often been overlooked. This study aims to contribute to this area.

scholarly journals The adoption of vendor managed inventory for hospital pharmaceutical supply

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 755-780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sineenart Krichanchai ◽  
Bart L. MacCarthy
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Service Level ◽  
Pharmaceutical Products ◽  
Vendor Managed Inventory ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Lock In

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate vendor managed inventory (VMI) for the supply of medicines between distributors and hospitals to identify factors that may affect VMI adoption. Design/methodology/approach Two contrasting VMI initiatives involving five organizations (three hospitals, one distributor and one manufacturer/supplier) are studied. A case study method with semi-structured interviews is used with triangulation in data collection, site visits and document analysis to enhance reliability and validity. The cases are analyzed and compared with respect to hospital, supplier, product and supply chain integration characteristics. Findings A successful public sector VMI initiative and an unsuccessful private sector VMI initiative are identified. The public sector supplier focuses on improving service level while the private sector supplier seeks to strengthen relationships with a key customer. Hospital characteristics, including type of hospital, top management perspectives and the hospital’s willingness to share information, are critical in decisions on VMI initiation or termination. Relatively stable demand products are preferred for a VMI approach. Hospitals may perceive risks in VMI adoption for medicines as it involves relinquishing control of critical supplies and may result in “lock-in” with a particular supplier. Research limitations/implications The cases have been conducted in one country, which may affect generalization of the findings. Wider empirical evidence from other countries in both developed and less developed regions will be beneficial. Practical implications VMI is advocated as being beneficial in many supply contexts. However, it is challenging to implement. The study identifies factors that affect the adoption of VMI for hospital pharmaceuticals and provides guidance on initiating VMI in a hospital context. Social implications The potential for VMI in public health projects to enable greater access to critical medicines is highlighted. Originality/value The paper provides supply side and demand side perspectives on VMI adoption in an important sector. It highlights the need for greater understanding of the perceived and actual risks in VMI from the perspective of both the hospital and the supplier and for much clearer advice on which pharmaceutical products are appropriate for VMI control in a hospital context.

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