Intellectual capital and service quality within the mobile telecommunications sector of Egypt

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1185-1208
Author(s):  
Abd-Elrahman Hassanein Abd-Elrahman ◽  
Azza Abd-Elqader El-Borsaly ◽  
Eglal Abd-Elmoneim Hafez ◽  
Sally Ali Hassan

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the relationship between intellectual capital (IC) (i.e. human capital, structural capital, relational capital) and service quality (SQ) within the Egyptian mobile telecommunications setting.Design/methodology/approachA valid research instrument was utilized to conduct a survey of 384 top- middle- and supervisory level managers from three Egyptian mobile telecommunications companies.FindingsHypotheses related to the relationship of human, structural and relational capital and their influence on SQ were tested. Results show that Egyptian mobile telecommunications companies have mostly emphasized the use of structural capital to boost their SQ.Research limitations/implicationsThis is an empirical research applied in the Egyptian telecommunications setting. Its relationships need further investigation in other settings and countries. Also, the traditional limitations of a cross-sectional study apply with respect to the attribution of causality and the time lag effects.Practical implicationsThe optimal procedure for the Egyptian mobile telecommunications companies is to focus their efforts on managing all three components of IC in order to improve their SQ and performance.Originality/valueThis is one of the very few researches to study the relationship between intellectual capital and service quality and the first to investigate these relationships in the Arab Region within the mobile telecommunications setting.

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abd-Elrahman Hassanein Abd-Elrahman ◽  
Jaber Mohamed Ahmed Kamal

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the mediating effect of service quality (SQ) in the relationship between relational capital (RC) and organizational performance (OP) within the Egyptian mobile telecommunication setting.Design/methodology/approachA valid research instrument was utilized to conduct a survey of 384 top- middle- and supervisory- level managers from three Egyptian mobile telecommunications companies. The hypothesized direct relationships were tested through multiple linear regression, and the mediating effect was tested using a structural equation modeling technique.FindingsThe results revealed that the firm's “customer and supplier relations” and “marketing capability” positively affect both OP and SQ, “customer knowledge” positively affects SQ only, while “strategic alliances, licensing and agreements” do not have an association with SQ or OP. Moreover, SQ was found fully mediating the effect of RC on OP.Research limitations/implicationsThis is an empirical research applied in the Egyptian telecommunication setting. Its results need further investigation in other settings and countries. Also, traditional limitations of a cross-sectional study apply with respect to the attribution of causality and the time lag effects.Practical implicationsThe optimal procedure for the Egyptian telecommunications companies is to focus their efforts on leveraging all four components of RC in order to improve SQ and consequently enhance their OP. The telecommunications companies must do all they can to connect the unconnected. As the current COVID-19 pandemic crisis has shown, connectivity is a public good.Originality/valueThis is the first research that merges the concepts of RC, SQ and OP in an integrated model, and tests this model empirically in the Egyptian mobile telecommunications setting.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1107-1124
Author(s):  
Zhining Wang ◽  
Shaohan Cai ◽  
Mengli Liu ◽  
Dandan liu ◽  
Lijun Meng

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Javad Rajabalizadeh ◽  
Javad Oradi

PurposeWhile prior research in the area of intellectual capital (IC) disclosure has mainly focused on firm, board and audit committee characteristics, there is little research on whether managerial characteristics are associated with IC disclosure. This study aims to examine the relationship between managerial ability (MA) and the extent of IC disclosure.Design/methodology/approachThe study sample comprises 1,098 firm-year observations of Iranian listed firms during 2012–2017. This study uses the checklist developed by Li et al. (2008) and adopts a content analysis approach and calculates the IC disclosure index in 62 dimensions within three categories: human capital, structural capital and relational capital. To measure MA, this study uses the managerial ability score (MA-Score) developed by Demerjian et al. (2012) for Iranian firms.FindingsThe results show that MA is significantly and negatively associated with the overall extent of IC disclosure and all the three components of IC (human capital, structural capital and relational capital). Further analysis shows that the interaction between MA and firm performance is positive and significant, suggesting that the negative relationship between MA and IC disclosure is less pronounced for high-performing firms. This study addresses the potential endogeneity issue by using the propensity score matching approach. The findings are also robust to the alternative measure of MA.Originality/valueThis study contributes to both the MA literature and the IC disclosure literature. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to provide empirical evidence on the relationship between MA and IC disclosure.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 621-648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Slaðana Cabrilo ◽  
Sven Dahms

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the moderation effect of strategic knowledge management (SKM) on the relationship between three components of intellectual capital (IC) and firm innovation and market performance. The authors argue that specific combinations of IC components and SKM activities can lead to higher innovation and market performance. It is also trying to assist companies to capitalize on both their IC and SKM. Design/methodology/approach Survey data have been collected from 101 Serbian companies, and these have been analyzed by using structural equation modelling (SEM) and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) techniques. Findings The SEM results show that structural capital and relational capital have a direct effect on innovation performance. Although, there is no significant direct effect of human capital on innovation performance, the relationship becomes significant when moderated by SKM. The effects of human and structural capital on innovation performance are negatively moderated by SKM activities, while SKM positively moderates the effect of relational capital on innovation performance, but remained insignificant. Moreover, the insights from fsQCA show a clear pattern of equifinality, in that there are multiple combinations of static and dynamic conditions that can lead to higher innovation and market performance. Originality/value Two separate research fields of “static” IC and “dynamic” knowledge management have been combined in one integrated framework. From a methodological perspective, symmetric and asymmetric statistical tools have been combined to better understand contingency and interactions. This approach contributes to the literature and potentially offers a better understanding of how static intangible assets should be enabled by dynamic knowledge-based managerial activities to achieve high performance. The paper demonstrates that SKM capability matters with only a specific constellation of IC resources and therefore suggests a novel explanation for performance variances.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1053-1084
Author(s):  
John Salinas-Ávila ◽  
René Abreu-Ledón ◽  
Johnny Tamayo-Arias

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide empirical evidence on the relationships between the dimensions of intellectual capital (IC) and the generation of knowledge in public universities.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was developed and administered in Colombia. A total of 209 researchers participated in the study. Data were collected through IC measurements concerning the research mission of the universities. Scientific publications from the respondents and the citations received were taken as proxies for the generation of knowledge. To test the hypotheses, structural equation modeling was used.FindingsHypotheses proposing a positive association between the dimensions of IC, namely, human capital, structural capital, and relational capital, and the generation of knowledge were tested. The findings highlight that human capital is indirectly and positively related to the generation of knowledge through relational capital, as well as through the path of structural capital-relational capital.Practical implicationsThe study suggests that directors of research at universities could improve the results of this activity by analyzing and understanding the dimensions of IC that contribute to the development of scientific capacities and the generation of knowledge.Originality/valueThis is one of the first studies that has examined the interrelationships between the dimensions of IC at universities and the generation of knowledge.


2019 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 384-401 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amina Buallay ◽  
Allam Hamdan

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.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ngoc Phu Tran ◽  
Duc Hong Vo

PurposeIn developed countries, banks are perceived to accumulate a higher level of intellectual capital than firms in other sectors. However, this perception has not been considered or tested in the context of an emerging market such as Vietnam, which has one of the most dynamic economies in the Asian region. This study estimates and compares the level of accumulation of intellectual capital and its four components by financial and nonfinancial firms in Vietnam. Furthermore, this study examines the relationship between intellectual capital and its components and the performance of financial and nonfinancial firms.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses data collected from the annual reports of 75 financial and 75 nonfinancial firms in Vietnam from 2011 to 2018. A modified value-added intellectual coefficient model is adopted to measure the level of intellectual capital at firms. Various aspects of intellectual capital are considered, including the efficiency of human capital, structural capital, capital employed and relational capital. In addition, the generalized method of moments is used to ensure the robustness of the findings.FindingsFindings in this study indicate that financial firms in Vietnam have accumulated a higher level of intellectual capital than nonfinancial firms. In addition, intellectual capital contributes positively to financial firms' performance. Three components of intellectual capital – structural capital efficiency, capital employed efficiency and relational capital efficiency – positively affect performance by financial firms.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is limited to financial and nonfinancial firms in Vietnam. Empirical studies in the future should incorporate the efficiency aspects of these types of firms because different industries might have different characteristics, in particular, their current efficiency level, which might cause differences in relation to the accumulation of intellectual capital.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study provide valuable evidence and implications for executives and policymakers in creating, managing and enhancing intellectual capital within the Vietnamese context, in particular in the financial sector.Originality/valueTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first empirical study conducted in the context of Vietnam, with the following two objectives: (1) to measure and compare the level of accumulation of intellectual capital by financial and nonfinancial firms in Vietnam; and (2) to examine the contribution of intellectual capital and its components to the performance by financial and nonfinancial firms in Vietnam.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (7) ◽  
pp. 52
Author(s):  
Michael Isaac Opusunju ◽  
Ndalo Santeli Jiya ◽  
Murat Akyuz

<p class="Default">The study examines the relationship between intellectual capital and competitive advantage in Pan African Nigeria Limited, Abuja.  The study also sought to find out how intellectual capital (human capital, social capital, relational capital and structural capital) enhances competitive advantage in Pan African Nigeria Limited, Abuja. The population of 65 employees were used and the population was used as sample size.  Point in time data were collected from primary source and Ordinary Least Square was adopted and finding reveals that the relationship between intellectual capital and competitive advantage in Pan African Nigeria Limited is significant. This shows that there is a significant relationship between human capital and competitive advantage in Pan African Nigeria Limited, Abuja. There is a significant relationship between relational capital and competitive advantage in Pan African Nigeria Limited, Abuja. There is a significant relationship between structural capital and competitive advantage in Pan African Nigeria Limited, Abuja. There is a significant relationship between social capital and competitive advantage in Pan African Nigeria Limited, Abuja. It is therefore recommended that Pan African Nigeria Limited should emphasis more on intellectual capital such as human capital, social capital, relational capital and structural capital since it help them to achieve competitive advantage over other firms within the industry.</p>


2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 214-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Maria Jardon ◽  
Amandio Dasilva

Purpose Small businesses created as a subsistence activity (subsistence small businesses (SSBs)), often are oriented towards the short term. The environmental performance, by contrast, is an indicator of long-term strategies. The purpsoe of this paper is to analyse how intellectual capital (IC) dimensions affect environmental concern, preparing SSBs to have a proper environmental behaviour in the future. Design/methodology/approach A method based on the partial least square technique is suggested to select the model and estimate the parameters. A sample of 113 small businesses in the timber industry in a region of Argentina was selected for this study. Findings The results indicate that IC promotes environmental concern. Relational capital directly affects environmental concern, human capital and structural capital and these, in turn, indirectly affect the environmental concern through relational capital in SSBs. Research limitations/implications The sample used is a cross-section. IC is subjectively measured. This paper only studies small businesses in the timber sector in a region of Latin America. Practical implications This paper enables practitioners and scholars to understand and make legitimate decisions and conclusions that can foster SSB growth in environmental concern. The paper suggests a combination of strategies in order to achieve a sustained development. Originality/value The authors tested the impact of dimensions of IC on environmental concern in SSB of developing countries, showing the importance of IC in sustained strategies in these companies.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (7) ◽  
pp. 52-64
Author(s):  
Opusunju Michael Isaac Isaac ◽  
◽  
Jiya Ndalo Santeli ◽  
Murat Akyuz ◽  
◽  
...  

The study examines the relationship between intellectual capital and competitive advantage in Pan African Nigeria Limited, Abuja. The study also sought to find out how intellectual capital (human capital, social capital, relational capital and structural capital) enhances competitive advantage in Pan African Nigeria Limited, Abuja. The population of 65 employees were used and the population was used as sample size. Point in time data were collected from primary source and Ordinary Least Square was adopted and finding reveals that the relationship between intellectual capital and competitive advantage in Pan African Nigeria Limited is significant. This shows that there is a significant relationship between human capital and competitive advantage in Pan African Nigeria Limited, Abuja. There is a significant relationship between relational capital and competitive advantage in Pan African Nigeria Limited, Abuja. There is a significant relationship between structural capital and competitive advantage in Pan African Nigeria Limited, Abuja. There is a significant relationship between social capital and competitive advantage in Pan African Nigeria Limited, Abuja. It is therefore recommended that Pan African Nigeria Limited should emphasis more on intellectual capital such as human capital, social capital, relational capital and structural capital since it help them to achieve competitive advantage over other firms within the industry.


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