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Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the knowledge network-based intellectual capital of corporate universities and its co-evolution process with knowledge management activities. Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory and multiple case study was conducted, investigating three Chinese corporate universities. Grounded theory was used for data analysis. Findings: This paper finds that the intellectual capital of corporate universities comprises teacher network capital, knowledge process capital and knowledge ba. The steering wheel model is established through the synergistic interaction and promotion among these three types of intellectual capital. The interaction between intellectual capital and the knowledge network within corporate universities constructs the intellectual capital network, which plays the roles of coordinator, knowledge gatekeeper and innovation bridge. The intellectual capital of corporate universities is characterized by sequential inertia. Moreover, the intellectual capital and intellectual capital network are aligned with knowledge management activities at each stage of corporate university development, interacting and following the principles of ladder evolution. Originality/value: A significant contribution of this paper lies in applying the concept of intellectual capital within the fourth-stage ecosystem to a broader range of knowledge networks. By exploring the dynamics and network of intellectual capital in corporate universities, especially the role of intellectual capital networks and the synergy between intellectual capital and knowledge management activities, this study enriches the existing research on knowledge management and intellectual capital of corporate universities. Furthermore, it advances the development of knowledge management promotion in corporate universities from a new perspective of intellectual capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The lockdown imposed to avoid the increase in the number of infections caused by the pandemic emergency declared in January 2020 has unavoidably compromised the normal functioning of the Universities. They have been forced to stop the operation of their traditional student-oriented activities. In this light, the present work aims to analyse how traditional Italian Universities continue to deliver services to their students during the emergency. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative explorative research was done. The paper used a multiple case study focused on two main public universities located in Rome (Italy). The data was collected using action research with participant observation. The activities observed before and during the health emergency are those related to the second mission and their services. Findings: Until the pandemic emergency arose, in the organizations analysed, the work was done traditionally. When the lockdown started the main instruments adopted to teach and provide the related services to students were the digital tools. Therefore, these devices represent how these organizations could immediately react to face the challenge arising from the impossibility to physically meet the students while continuing to support them in their educational path. Based on the findings obtained these universities fall into the "corporate entrepreneurship" definition. Research limitations/implications: The present work has managerial and academic implications. The academic implications can be summarized in two main points: the work (1) promptly analysed the changes necessary to overcome the problematics caused by the pandemic emergency; (2) contributes to the debate concerning the transfer of knowledge using digital tools and their relevance on the intellectual capital. One of the limits of the work is that only two Italian traditional universities are analysed and that the study focuses on universities located in a same city. Practical implications: On the other hand, in referent to managerial implications, this paper highlights how the corporate entrepreneurial view could be useful to support an inspected challenge that could happened in a certain historical period. Therefore, a real implementation of the entrepreneurial concepts is preferred. Originality/value: The paper discussed an original and contemporary topic not yet investigated since it refers to the Universities' reaction to the pandemic emergency in 2020, with the focus on their ability to maintain the intellectual capital value and give more points that could be investigate in the future, as, e.g. a selection of more than three traditional universities or with a comparative case study, useful in highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the decisions taken in different contexts, considering: (1) telematic universities and traditional universities; or (2) universities located in other countries. Another future line of enquiry could be to focus the analysis on the effective quality of the MOOCs applied at the universities' activities, using the students' opinions obtainable through OPIS (Rilevazione Opinione degli Studenti) or through direct interviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper examines the leading publication trends including the extent and impact of intellectual capital research in the Journal of Intellectual Capital (JIC) over a two-decade period (2000–2020). The bibliometric analysis offers the description of publications trends such as key authors, articles, cited references, institutions and countries— in other words the extent and impact in the field. This paper also presents the knowledge structure (including conceptual, intellectual and social structures) of JIC, that is prominent themes, co-citation and bibliographic networks. Design/methodology/approach: In order to achieve research objectives, we collected the bibliographic information of the articles published in JIC for the period 2000 to 2020 from the Scopus database on 11.04.2020. The bibliographic information of 737 documents were analysed using to open source analysis tool, that is bibliometrics package in r software and VOSviewer. These tools were used to create the graphical visualization of bibliographic data on basis of co-occurrence, co-citation and bibliographic coupling. Findings: The results show that the journal is progressing in terms of publication quantity and reputation in the field. To date, 737 documents have been published in JIC, which includes 659 research articles, eight editorials, seven notes and 63 review papers. This paper also portrays the author impact list in terms of most impactful articles published in JIC. Country-wise Italy, Australia, and USA exert maximum influence on JIC scholarship. Originality/value: Bibliographic analysis offers a comprehensive understanding of past trends and presents the future direction of a journal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper reviews the development of knowledge creation theory in the last quarter-century and how it has contributed to innovation management and looks into social and human aspects of innovation in the era of "Society 5.0". Design/methodology/approach: This research aims to relate basic theoretical concepts: knowledge creation and knowledge assets, purpose, leadership, and place (Ba) for innovation to drive innovation and its management as a whole ecosystem. It also discusses the application to innovation management systems open innovation, and social innovation. Findings: Today's innovation demands socio-economic fusion that goes beyond current corporate boundaries. By preparing the system (knowledge ecosystem) as the basis, we could build the bridge, and such fusion would be possible. Research limitations/implications: This paper shows the framework of the idea. Evidence-based research based on "knowledge assessment" will be discussed on another occasion. Originality/value: This research is to explain knowledge management, innovation, and social innovation beyond the corporate framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the moderating role of knowledge management (KM) strategies in developing the effect of intellectual capital (IC) on innovation for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Specifically, the current study explores how different interactions between IC and KM strategies lead to more powerful innovation in SMEs. Design/methodology/approach: This study analyzes survey responses from 170 owners/managers of SMEs in Iran. The study uses partial least square structural equation modeling methods within Smart PLS software. Findings: This study reveals that first IC has an excellent level of engagement with both incremental and radical types of innovation, but its engagement level with radical innovation is higher than that for incremental innovation. Second, the human capital component of IC has a direct positive impact on radical innovation although it has no significant impact on incremental innovation. Third, the personalization strategy of KM positively moderates the impact of human capital on both incremental and radical innovation. Originality/value: This paper is an empirical attempt in SMEs to combine IC and KM strategies to strengthen innovation. It presents research community for SMEs of a developing country that has been investigated in a limited way compared to large firms of developed nations and provides valuable insights into further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper examines the interaction of human capital and CRM on the performance of SMEs in Yemen. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a quantitative approach in investigating the interacting effect of human capital on the relationship between CRM and SMEs' performance in Yemen. The PLS-SEM analysis was performed to test the hypotheses. Findings: It was observed that key customer focus, technology-based CRM and CRM knowledge management were effective drivers of SME performance, but not CRM organization tools. It was also ascertained that human capital has no moderating effect on the key customer focus and knowledge management relationships with performance, although it does moderate the relationships between performance and CRM organization and technology-based CRM respectively. Research limitations/implications: Because this study is limited to manufacturing SMEs in Yemen, the results cannot be generalized to other types of industry such as services, whose structure and vision differ from those of manufacturing SMEs. While the current results may be appropriate for SMEs in other developing countries, the researcher believes they are unsuitable for SMEs in advanced economies with different financial structures and employee and management cultures. Practical implications: The empirical insights of this study are valuable for the owners, managers and professionals in the SMEs manufacturing sector in developing countries, to enrich their organizational performance through CRM adoption, while considering the moderating effect of human capital. Originality/value: This is the first empirical work to confirm way the main drivers of human capital, including in the analysis the impact of CRM dimensions and SME performance, in the context of the manufacturing sector. In support of an original conceptual model, the insights contribute to the literature on CRM, SMEs in the manufacturing sector, human capital and emerging economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This article aims to provide a bibliometric and systematic literature analysis of studies published in the Journal of Intellectual Capital (JIC) from 2014 to 2018 in order to highlight emerging themes and future trends. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis focused on 187 papers published on JIC over a period of five years. A scientometric approach to data mining enabled the detection of patterns in the dataset. Precisely, the investigation was conducted by integrating a bibliometric analysis on VOSviewer with a systematic literature review. Findings: Four main streams of research on JIC emerged in the years of the analysis: reporting and disclosure of intellectual capital; intellectual capital research in universities, education and public sector; knowledge management; intellectual capital, financial performance, and market value. Research limitations/implications: The study offers valid insights to the topics covered by the Journal of Intellectual Capital by identifying the main research gaps and trends, along with future research avenues. Originality/value: Prior scholars mostly focused on systematic literature reviews, whilst the use of bibliometric methods generally seems to be a missing tile in the research domain. Also, none of the extant studies has focused on the Journal of Intellectual Capital with reference to the 2014–2018 period. The use of both bibliometric and systematic approaches to literature review delivered extremely fine-tuned results in terms of factors such as citations, contents and evolution of clusters over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this work is to identify and analyze the main areas on which researchers have focused in relation to intellectual capital (IC) and its management in the university context. This review will also analyze how these researchers carried out their work to understand future research directions. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis was conducted through a structured literature review (SLR) of 866 research contributions (articles, book chapters and books). An analysis of the content was performed to identify the main topics discussed and to ascertain how these studies were carried out. Findings: This paper highlights how the management of knowledge resources (as IC) has been discussed in the literature, focusing specifically on how universities report the information, which is fundamental for allowing stakeholders to understand the value created by these kinds of organizations. Research limitations/implications: The manual analysis of the results of the SLR can be considered a limitation of this work. Another limitation of the work is represented by the use of only one database. Originality/value: This SLR makes several useful contributions for both practitioners and scholars. First, it suggests strengthening the relationship with the external stakeholders to assure the survival of universities. Second, it enables others to replicate scientific research, thanks to its clear and transparent process. It also allows scholars to identify which issues their work should address, as well as suggesting possible future research areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The article reviews major developments in the literature on knowledge management and intellectual capital management. It provides a description and visualization of the structure and content of the ISO 30401 and critically benchmarks its clauses against comprehensive taxonomies from the literature. Design/methodology/approach: 2018 saw the release of the ISO 30401 Knowledge Management Systems Standard, a type A regulation which may serve as a basis for certification. It builds on and integrates a broad and conceptually diverse literature on knowledge resources (e.g. intellectual capital theory, knowledge management theory). This article aims to show how the management systems standard relates to the literature it is built on and provides directions for its further operationalization by certification bodies and implementation by managers. Findings: The ISO 30401 successfully integrates a diverse body of literature in a broadly applicable cross-industry standard. To operationalize and implement it, certification bodies and managers should build on empirical evidence of "what works," taking into account market characteristics as well as organizational properties. Further research should support the implementation of the standard by developing KM measurement frameworks and context-specific studies of KM tools and methods. Originality/value: This article is the first to systematically compare the ISO 30401 to the underlying theory. This paper uncovers avenues for research and makes suggestions for the standard's operationalization in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This article reports on the background, the conceptual ideas and the lessons learned from over more than 20 years of IC Statements and Management with a country focus on Germany and some international developments. It calls for an integrated management approach for IC and offers case study evidence on how to accomplish this quest. Design/methodology/approach: Report on the German initiative "Intellectual Capital Statement made in Germany" (ICS m.i.G.). A brief review of the literature describes the background and theoretical foundation of the German IC method. A short description of the method is followed by four detailed case studies to illustrate long-term impact of IC management in very different organizations. A discussion of Lessons Learned from more than 200 implementations and an outlook on current and future developments finalizes the article. Findings: IC Statements made in Germany (ICS m.i.G.) was successful in providing a framework to systematically identify IC, evaluate the status quo of IC relative to the strategic requirements, visualize interdependencies of IC, business processes and business results as well as to connect IC reporting with internal management routines and external communication. However, ICS is not an insulated method but delivers the maximum benefit when integrated with strategy development, strategy implementation, business process optimization accompanied by change management routines. Strong ties to human resource management, information technology departments, quality management, research and development teams as well as business operations as the core of an organization help to yield the most for ICS m.i.G. Over time, the focus of managing IC changes and maturity leads to deutero learning. Practical implications: ICS m.i.G. proved easy to apply, cost efficient for SMEs, larger corporations and networks. It helps to better accomplish their objectives and to adjust their business models. The guidelines in German and English as well as a software application released were downloaded more than 100,000 times. A certification process based on a three-tier training module is available and was successfully completed by more than 400 practitioners. ICS m.i.G. is supporting current standards of knowledge management, such as ISO 9001, ISO 30401 or DIN SPEC PAS 91443 and therefore will most likely have a continuing impact on knowledge-based value creation. Originality/value: This paper reports lessons learned from the country-wide IC initiative in Germany over the last 20 years initiated and supported by the authors. Several elements of the method have been published over time, but so far no comprehensive view on Lessons Learned had been published. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of intellectual capital (IC) on the reputation and performance of Italian companies.Design/methodology/approach The paper exploits a unique data set of 452 non-listed companies that obtained a reputational assessment from the Italian Competition Authority (ICA). To test the hypotheses, this study implemented several regression analyses.Findings Results support the argument that human capital efficiency is a key driver of corporate reputation. Findings also reveal that companies, which obtained reputational rating under ICA scrutiny, show a positive relationship between IC elements and various measures of financial performance.Research limitations/implications The study focuses on a single country; it is not free from the imprecisions of Pulic’s VAIC model.Practical implications This paper recommends companies that are interested to achieve a robust reputation should consider the human capital as a strategic intangible asset. Second, the results suggest that companies with an ICA reputational rating are able to leverage their intangibles to potentiate performance and competitiveness.Originality/value This is the first empirical investigation on the contribution of IC in generating value for corporate reputation. Additionally, the study contributes to the literature on the link between IC and performance by examining a sample of firms not yet explored in prior research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the causal effect of intellectual capital (IC) performance on financial performance at Thai listed banks.Design/methodology/approach Data are collected from 16 listed banks in Thailand for the period 1997–2016. This paper uses the value-added intellectual coefficient methodology suggested by Pulic (1998, 2004) to measure IC. This study employs a fixed-effects and random-effects model and generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator to investigate the causal effect of IC on financial performance.Findings The results show that bank profitability is driven mainly by capital employed efficiency to make a profit. However, human capital efficiency marginally reduces bank profitability in the current period but has positive effects on future profitability.Research limitations/implications First, this study does not cover data on foreign banks, which reduces the generalizability of the results. Second, financial statements can be manipulated through accounting adjustments. Lastly, subsequent research should control for more bank characteristics, such as bank ownership, the non-performing loan ratio and R&D expenditure.Practical implications To achieve higher future profitability, banks should not only manage their physical and financial capital effectively but also improve employee efficiency.Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature on IC in the banking sector in emerging countries. Moreover, this paper is the first to employ the GMM method in the banking context to address possible endogeneity problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose and test an integrated model focusing on the drivers and consequences of intellectual capital in the context of the hotel industry.Design/methodology/approach A quantitative study was conducted, including 156 hotels located in Iran. Structural equation modeling examines the validity of constructs and path relationships.Findings The results of the PLS-SEM analysis provided three findings as follows: the three dimensions of social capital, namely the structural, relational, and cognitive social capital, had positive effects on knowledge sharing; knowledge sharing had positive effects on three components of intellectual capital (human capital, structural capital and relational capital); and intellectual capital dimensions, which in turn, lead to innovation.Originality/value The combination of a developing country context and the significance of social capital, knowledge sharing, intellectual capital and innovation in hotel industry enhance the contextual contribution of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a model to help RTC managers in the technological and R&D decisions and bets so as to change the perceived value of the R&D projects of the centres. To achieve this aim, the paper investigates the different models for the valuation of intangible assets.Design/methodology/approach The paper presents a single case study and focusses on creating a useful IC valuation model for the centre, using existing methods and frameworks in IP and IC fields.Findings The paper presents a new method for the calculation of IC applied to a RTC in ICT sector, in which the valuation of the IP is included (software libraries) and the KM and the peculiarities of these kinds of organisations are explained. The model is based on Edvinsson and Malone (1997) and Leitner (2005).Research limitations/implications Although the use of a single case provides rich data, it is also limits the generalisability to other RTCs. Another limitation is that not all existing methods were explained. This new method constitutes a first proposal for the IP and IC valuation in RTCs and further discussion and development would be carried out in the future.Practical implications The results suggest an IP and IC measurement model to improve the strategic and technological decisions making.Social implications This paper may favour the competitiveness of companies engaged in intangible assets (knowledge, R&D) and the negotiation of the contracts since it arrives to determine a value for the intellectual property (software libraries) and intellectual capital.Originality/value This paper proposes an IC Model orientated towards an RTC context and to provide a value perspective for them. The authors are practitioners and the model is in use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to tie together the insights from the body of research relating to economic complexity theory, structural holes, non-price based competition, and knowledge management. The insights relating to generating national prosperity are synthesised through an intellectual capital lens.Design/methodology/approach The paper uses literature review combined with insights from an Australian project on state-based economic complexity.Findings The connectivist and autopoietic epistemological paradigms are found to be most aligned with the need to manage transformation between organisational and human resources that will achieve causal ambiguity and hence inimitability. This inimitability forms the basis for achieving non-price based competition and if there is a rich network of economic agents that, both individually and collectively through collaboration, have these characteristics a large share of the economy can operate on the basis of non-priced based competition. If all these agents have an export focus the economic complexity of the economy will be high, and likely increasing, which will enable both the creation and the appropriation of large amounts of value and hence result in increasing national prosperity.Research limitations/implications Findings are only relevant for OECD countries given the origins of the data used.Practical implications Managerial implications are outlined as are major implications for public policy.Originality/value This is the first time that these concepts are linked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore and discuss possible solutions to integrate the concepts of smart city (SC) and intellectual capital management, especially referring to structural capital. On the basis of this, the authors propose a theoretical framework that highlights the relevance of structural capital for strategic and operational planning of smarter cities.Design/methodology/approach Using a neuropsychological analogy, the authors assume that the development of SCs corresponds to the development of a sensorial or even a nervous system for cities based on their structural capital, and the development of city intellectual capital (CIC) corresponds to a further phase of the cities’ mind development. The authors propose a practical framework that combines the concepts of city nervous system and city mind. It can be used as an instrument for project management. In this model, sensorial data – associated with the implementation of cities’ sensorial systems – should naturally contribute with open data to the development of higher abstract functions that in turn supports the creation of CIC.Findings This paper highlights the interrelations between intellectual capital (IC) (especially its structural component) and SC and their synergic capability of improving both an SC’s competitiveness and sustainability, and by this illustrates the benefits of combining both concepts in a common theoretical framework.Research limitations/implications Given the paper’s theoretical nature, the empirical validation of the proposed framework is missing. This limitation will be addressed in forthcoming empirical research.Originality/value By proposing a framework that combines the concepts of SC and IC, the paper contributes to theory development regarding the strategic management of cities and the application of IC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a theoretical-conceptual model supporting the analysis of the effects of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) networks on knowledge management (KM) and intellectual capital (IC).Design/methodology/approach The paper reviews literature on KM, IC and networks theories. The role of SMEs networks on KM and IC was discussed, analysing previous studies that supported the proposition of the model in question. In such model SMEs networks are seen as knowledge networks which are analysed in terms of the network formation process, the context, the strategy, the organisational culture and the stimuli for the sharing of knowledge. KM is observed in terms of knowledge creation, systematisation and sharing. Finally, IC encompasses human capital, structural capital and relational capital. It is noteworthy that KM and IC were considered deeply and closely related.Findings The conclusions obtained help to fill an important gap in the management, accounting, KM and IC literature, showing that the processes of creating, acquiring, maintaining, systematising and sharing information and knowledge and IC generation in SMEs networks can be influenced by the network formation process, by the organisational context, as well as by the strategy, organisational culture and stimuli to sharing knowledge.Research limitations/implications The paper provides a theoretical contribution by increasing understanding of the effect of SMEs networks on KM and IC practices – an understanding still at the early stages in the literature. Moreover, the originality of the model proposed extends the relevance of this research, as the literature does not contain a sufficiently established and tested approach that simultaneously provides a clear view of the relations between SMEs, networks, KM and IC, highlighting how SMEs can use networks as a strategy to achieve a more effective management of the knowledge assets forming IC. So, the paper offers several avenues for future research.Practical implications Based on previous empirical research, it was perceived that the original model presented in this paper is consistent, collaborating to improve management practice, providing a competitive benchmarking process. This can allow analysts, managers and other decision makers, by using SMEs networks to improve organisational performance, innovation, sustainability, competitiveness and value.Originality/value The paper presents an innovative theoretical-conceptual model focussed on the role of SMEs networks on KM and IC, indicating a strong link between the former and the latter in such enterprises in terms of performance, innovation, sustainability, competitiveness and value, an issue whose understanding, although quite relevant, is still incipient in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose One of the main contemporary challenges in organisations is finding ways of measuring their intellectual capital (IC), and its effects on competitiveness and financial sustainability. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the influence of IC on the long-term financial performance of Brazilian companies.Design/methodology/approach Considering that previous studies have not been able to explain the role of IC in financial sustainability (measured by long-term corporate performance), this paper attempts to fill this gap by means of a quantitative, descriptive and applied study. Based on the theories of knowledge management, accounting and finance, the authors have undertaken a study of the companies listed on the BM&FBovespa, based on secondary data, using a multi-industrial cut, over the period 2005 to 2014, using descriptive and multivariate statistics.Findings The analysis supports three major conclusions: IC influences positively the profitability and corporate return of these companies; the more intangible-intensive public companies listed on the BM&FBovespa demonstrate higher financial sustainability than the others, in terms of profitability and corporate return, either individually, globally or by industry; and that IC helps increase financial performance, systematically, over time.Research limitations/implications Contributions of the following types were sought: theoretical (increasing an understanding of the effects of IC on business performance from a long-term perspective – an understanding that is still only incipient in the management literature); and empirical (increasing an understanding of the role of IC in the differentiation of companies, in organisational profitability and on the return on applications of resources).Practical implications The original proposal for the measurement of financial performance presented in this paper proved to be valid and consistent, complementing what is known about the subject under examination, contributing to the improvement of management theory and practice and providing a competitive benchmarking process. This can make it possible for company analysts or managers to evaluate their company in relation to its industry or its market as a whole by means of such indicators, individually or combined with other quantitative or qualitative metrics.Originality/value The results of this research reduce a gap in the management and accounting literature, as they shed light on the performance measurement process. In addition to the range and depth of the statistical tests carried out, attention should be drawn to the originality of the proposal presented in this paper. This facilitates the measurement of the effects of IC on financial performance through the selection and application of specific indicators for the assessment of the contribution of IC to organisational results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of intellectual capital (IC) on financial performance (FP) for Indian companies listed on the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy Overall Share Price Index (COSPI).Design/methodology/approach Hypotheses were developed according to theories and literature review. Secondary data were collected from Indian companies listed on the COSPI between 2001 and 2016, and the value-added intellectual coefficient (VAIC) of Pulic (2000) was used to measure IC and its components. A dynamic system generalized method of moments (SGMM) estimator was employed to identify the variables that significantly contribute to firm performance.Findings Indian listed firms appear to be performing well and efficiently utilizing their IC. Overall, human capital had a major impact on firm productivity during the study period. Furthermore, the empirical analysis showed that structural capital efficiency and capital employed efficiency were equally important contributors to firm’s sales growth and market value. The growing importance of the contribution of IC to value creation was consistently reflected in the FP of these Indian companies.Practical implications This study has robust theoretical grounds and employs a validated methodology. The present study extends knowledge of IC among academicians and managers and highlights its contribution to value creation. The findings may help stakeholders and policymakers in developing countries properly reallocate intellectual resources.Originality/value This study is the first study to evaluate IC and its relationship with traditional measures of firm performance among Indian listed firms using dynamic SGMM and VAIC models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to integrate knowledge inheritance theory with the social capital perspective to explain the initial endowments of spinoffs. Design/methodology/approach – The authors maintain that social capital plays a crucial part, both as a mechanism supporting the generation of intellectual capital prior to a spinoff’s foundation, and as an endowment that complements this capital once the spinoff is founded. Knowledge inheritance remains a fundamental mechanism for the formation of a spinoff’s intellectual capital. Its other endowment, social capital, derives from three types of relationship that future entrepreneurs develop within, through and outside their parent firm, all three of which are crucial to the formation of a spinoff’s intellectual capital. Findings – The first result of the theoretical research is an integrative framework of a spinoff’s endowments. Moreover, the authors apply this framework to address two key research questions in the spinoff literature, i.e. whether spinoffs can differ from their parents in terms of intellectual capital; and why spinoffs tend to co-locate near their parents, in geographical clusters. The integrative approach helps to tackle these questions. Originality/value – This conceptual paper offers a more comprehensive explanation of the emergence of spinoffs in terms of their initial endowments than the knowledge inheritance theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to identify motivations that drive communication of IC (CIC); and second, to investigate content and format used in CIC from three perspectives, namely, human capital information, relational capital information and structural capital information. Design/methodology/approach – A global survey was conducted with 200 banks’ senior executives responsible for annual report (AR), followed by content analysis of each bank’s AR. Findings – The study found four motivations of CIC, namely, management responsibility to stakeholders, collective behavior, corporate responsibility and compliance. Content analysis of banks’ AR found structural capital information most prevalent, followed by human capital and relational capital. Five types of formats were analyzed to show the different presentation used in the CIC. Research limitations/implications – Current data source was limited to banking and focussed on English language publications. Practical implications – The study provides regulators insights to forces that either compel or hinder CIC, and updates literature on management’s thinking and priorities in CIC. Originality/value – This study is possibly the first paper that investigates the motivation of CIC for reporting, where IC is an important asset to organizations. The findings on the content and format used in CIC extend existing studies to a wider, global scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Over the last decades concepts and practices related to intangibles gained momentum at international level especially within the economic, accounting and management arenas. However, dating back to the beginning of the 1900s, intangibles was a topic that in the USA dominated the law and taxation fields. Indeed, at that time few papers were published in accounting journals and reviews, whereas the majority populated law and taxation publications. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing upon the sociology of the profession, the ways through which lawyers and accountants constructed a “professional competition and power” (Dezalay and Sugarman, 2005) upon this arena are here explored. In particular, an in-depth analysis of the papers published on this field from the beginning of the 1900s until the 1970s in the USA is carried out. Findings – Notwithstanding the current conceptualisation of intangibles as a field of research and practice at the margins (Miller, 1998) of accounting, the results achieved in the present research suggest that, at least historically, the topic of intangibles was highly intertwined not only within the different streams of accounting studies and practice, but also with the developments in legal and taxation fields that were surrounding the US economic, social and political institutional scenario. Originality/value – The work intends to contribute to the current literature providing insights into the “genealogy” (Foucault, 1977) of the intangibles territory and the “turf battles” (Dezalay, 1995) it went through in order to become what has been defined as “a field upon which questions of disciplinary legitimacy have been raised” (Zambon, 2006) and, consequently, as characterized by “an intrusion of ‘external’ specialists into the accounting domain” (Power, 2001). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse intellectual capital (IC) in SMEs. In particular two research questions are posed: how SMEs acquire or develop knowledge and intangible resources; and how they manage and exploit IC. Design/methodology/approach – An in-depth case study of an Italian SME operating in the automobile industry is carried out in order to answer the two research questions. Findings – The case study evidences the impossibility to sharply divide all of the knowledge-related elements of a firm into the three generally accepted categories of human, organisational (structural) and relational capital. The analysis of IC as a set of stock of resources is important but really partial due to the fact that IC and knowledge continuously change. In this light, the focus on activities and processes help in understating how the firm manages IC. In the studied SME, formal and informal knowledge coexist but in different areas of the firm. Again, the relationships with external stakeholders, suppliers and clients especially, are the source for improving IC. The case study also supports the important role that dialogue and familiarity play in knowledge management. However the focus of management is not knowledge per se, but the solution to problems the firm must deal with, IC and knowledge being just one of the issues to be considered in order to solve problems. Research limitations/implications – The paper is useful since it addresses the management of IC in SMEs which is a topic under-researched with respect to the economic importance of SMEs. The conclusions of the work, emerging from an individual case study analysis, cannot be generalised. However, they offer support for other studies findings and highlight some specificities of the way SMEs manage IC. Practical implications – The paper explores the characteristics of IC management in SME in order to contribute towards the differentiation of the view of IC in relation to the “size” of the firm. Approaches originally developed for larger firms fail to consider SMEs characteristics, which indeed are not smaller large firms; therefore, it is in general impossible to think of SME management systems as simpler or smaller than those adopted by large firms. The key point is in fact that SMEs (at least the one here analysed) have management systems which are ontologically different. Originality/value – Besides the relevant role of SMEs in economy, very few papers have been published on the way IC is developed and managed in SMEs. A gap therefore exists between the economic importance of SME and the attention IC research has given to them, which calls for more research on this area. The paper is a step forward on the way of reducing that gap, since it provides a case study on knowledge and IC management within an Italian SME. Finally, the analysis reinforces similar results of other studies adopting a dynamic perspective for the analysis of IC, which found IC management in SMEs to be more based on informal systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore whether and how the intellectual capital (IC) approach and concepts could be fruitfully adapted to study the smart city phenomenon from a managerial point of view. Design/methodology/approach – This study is based on a long-term, in-depth ethnographic exploration of the vast global community, which is created around the smart city movement. Findings – The analysis suggests that, in order to effectively analyse a smart city context through the IC lens, the traditional IC framework needs to be extended for: expected outcomes, which should also include sustainability, resilience and quality of life; categories of key resources, which should also include institutional capital and environmental capital; units of analysis, which should also include territorial systems, such as transportation or waste; and key managerial challenges implied. As a final result, a smart city intellectual capital (SC-IC) framework is proposed. Research limitations/implications – Most of the cases analysed in this study are European; further studies are advisable to better investigate non-European smart city contexts. Practical implications – The paper suggests that the knowledge management, project portfolio management and network management approaches are crucial to better support managerial practices in smart city organizations. Originality/value – The SC-IC framework allows for a clear definition of the smart city organization, as a new knowledge-based, project-oriented, network-shaped type of organization. Therefore, the SC-IC framework provides smart city research with a consistent rooting in management studies. Further, this paper contributes to the fourth stage of IC research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine whether strategic intent influences developing intellectual capital (IC) and if IC affects performance measured in terms of product and service diversification within small and medium enterprises over time. Design/methodology/approach – This study discusses if and how structural equation models can be located within the third stage of IC research, and subsequently presents an analysis developed using 1,392 questionnaire responses through a temporal lens. Findings – Empirical results show how relational, human and structural capital strongly connects to support a firm’s performance measured in terms of product and service diversification. Additionally, IC and strategic intent influence each other creating a constraint effect on one side and an ambition effect on the other. Interestingly, the constraint effect is much higher than the ambition effect, and this falls in line with a contingency approach to strategic intent. Practical implications – Several practical implications are developed. First, results show that high regulation where firms can offer mandatory product/services can limit IC development. Therefore the findings contribute to the dialogue between policy makers, managers and businesses. Second, business schools should consider how strategic intent contributes to developing IC in order to design future curricula for accounting and management studies. Third, firms that operate in similar contexts should pay attention to managerial myopia due to low competition where a significant part of firms’ revenues is from mandatory product/services. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the existing literature by investigating how IC affects strategic intent and how strategic intent fosters IC development. Additionally, findings build on existing theory, helping to understand how IC affects performance measured in terms of portfolio diversification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The basis of value creation has shifted from tangible factors of production towards intangible resources such as intellectual capital (IC) (e.g. Grant, 1996). The average organisation’s IC has been estimated to be three to four times over its book value (Edvinsson and Malone, 1997); thus, it is vital for companies to understand how it is created, managed, measured and evaluated. However, there are still many debated and complex issues, and the empirical measurement of IC is one of those. The purpose of this paper is to determine if IC systematically influences firm performance. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic review procedure was utilised as this study’s research design. Findings – The findings demonstrate that IC influences firm performance mainly through interactions, combinations and mediations. Also, there is a great deal of evidence on the significant relationship between IC and firm’s innovation performance. Research limitations/implications – This paper reviews only empirical studies based on survey data and statistical methods of analysis. Practical implications – The research points to some focal aspects of IC that are associated with firm performance. Originality/value – This is the first study to review empirical literature on IC and firm performance. It increases the current understanding by bringing together the research related to the issue and drawing meta-level analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Intangible resources are the most distinctive firms’ assets in competitive environments especially in service businesses. Insurance firms seeking more efficient performance than competitors should improve their intellectual capital (IC) strategies in both aspects of IC creation and utilization. The purpose of this paper is to investigate and improves IC participation in insurance firms’ efficiency. Design/methodology/approach – A two-phase framework: “explaining IC role in efficiency” and “measuring efficiencies of IC creation and application” is developed in order to find IC strategies increasing firms’ efficiency and though competitiveness. Efficiency is measured using data envelopment analysis and the generalized estimating equations is used as the regression method in order to explain efficiency with IC measures. Findings – Empirical results in Iran insurance sector (during a seven-year period for 17 Iranian insurers) show some IC components influence firms’ efficiency and could be intervention points for performance improvement. Then the firms are categorized into four zones in terms of IC efficiency and strategies are recognized for each category. Research limitations/implications – Although the research is initiated by the need to embed intangible resources in performance improvement in insurance sector, the research framework could be strongly applied in other knowledge-based industries. Originality/value – This paper embeds an innovative link between classic efficiency and IC which aligns resource management with competitiveness strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to review extant literature to identify models intended to measure/classify intellectual capital (IC) to establish the current body of knowledge that has been built since the review by Marr et al (2004). Design/methodology/approach -- The study consists of a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles on IC classification. The review was conducted for the period 2004-2014 in order to reach the aim. To ensure that all major models are included, important works developed prior to 2004 were captured as well. Findings -- The review resulted in 83 additional models indicating continued research activities with regard to the topic. These models were merged with prior IC models and mapped on a timeline. The timeline clarifies that 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 represent the years of greatest research activity (outcomes). Additionally, the analysis of the list of IC frameworks resulted in the development of an IC Meta model. It synthesizes research activities in the field and highlights the main IC dimensions and sub-dimensions. Research limitations/implications -- This study may not have enabled a complete coverage of all existing peer-reviewed articles in the field of IC classification. Yet, it seems reasonable to assume that the review process covered a large proportion of studies available. Originality/value -- By aggregating and consolidating the IC frameworks covered, the study does not only provide an IC Meta model, but also promising directions for future research. Paper type Literature review [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- Dealing with intellectual capital (IC), the purpose of this paper is to provide a strategic tool for management activities in knowledge-based organizations. In particular, in the contribution, an integrated framework for intangibles' representation, evaluation and control in Science Parks is developed. Design/methodology/approach -- Starting from a review of the main instruments for measuring intangible resources in an organization, an integrated model of IC for Science Parks is formulated. Findings -- The paper demonstrates that Science Parks are big repositories of knowledge but they are neither familiar with the IC management nor with the use of methodologies functional for the resources representations and for the variations dynamics of their value. Thereby it answers to questions related to the IC process representation, responding to managerial exigencies and to measurability and repeatability as strategic activities for business running. Originality/value -- Unlike the great number of studies on IC that formulate objective metrics of the value of firms' intangible assets, the paper presents a model not to describe but to shape processes in a knowledge-based organization and to achieve and communicate results both for management and for increasing transparency of communication with external stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically test the relations among different knowledge management (KM) factors, such as human capital (HC), processes and information systems (IS) on organizational sustainable competitive advantage (CA), within the SMEs context.Design/methodology/approach Structured questionnaires were distributed to CEOs and managers of Portuguese organizations through an electronic survey. Partial least squares software was utilized to analyze the data.Findings The measurement model results identify and validate the dimensions of HC, processes and IS representing the KM construct. The structural model results demonstrate that HC and processes have a direct and significant impact on organizational CA, on the customer and financial dimensions, respectively. IS indirectly and significantly influence organizational CA, mediated by HC and processes.Research limitations/implications The sample size includes mostly service business and SMEs. Other organizations sectors, such as industry, should be analyzed in order to develop a comparative cross-sectorial study.Practical implications This study establishes suggestions for managers to make legitimate decisions concerning investments on knowledge assets and organizational capabilities that can foster business growth and sustainable CA within a SMEs context.Originality/value The authors propose a mediation mechanism showing that the relationship between IS and sustainable CA is not direct, but it is mediated by HC and processes. This mechanism points out some critical issues for the strategic knowledge and intellectual capital assets, as a source of organizational CA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Intellectual capital represents an integral part of evaluation in many companies. Applied methods do not consider three crucial aspects of intellectual capital, which are up-to-date research topics, dynamic nature, and internal perspective. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to propose a novel intellectual capital self-evaluation method, addressing this issue.Design/methodology/approach Analysis of topics is based on collocation, correspondence, and co-occurrence analyses. Method construction stage is grounded in knowledge processes and deploys a panel of expert evaluations, Saaty’s decision matrix, based on pairwise comparison and the stakeholders’ estimates.Findings A new method for evaluation enables complex internal view on the status of intellectual capital in an organisation, as it is based on up-to-date research topics, a self-evaluation approach, and the dynamics of knowledge processes.Research limitations/implications The list of applied criteria is extendable, and the set weights are adjusted. Estimates are subjective in their nature. Provided results are tied with the specifics of self-evaluated organisations and cannot be used for inter-organisational comparison.Practical implications Presented system enables organisational self-evaluation, focussed on the complex and dynamic internal view, based on up-to-date topics. Despite the limitations, this self-evaluation can be conducted for various types of economic systems.Originality/value Proposed method is patterned on the current research topics and offers dynamic- and internal-oriented approach to self-evaluation of intellectual capital status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the association of different configurations of intellectual capital (IC) and knowledge management practices (KMP) with firm performance. Do firms with different profiles concerning their overall levels of IC and KMP differ in terms of innovation and market performance?Design/methodology/approach First, the firms were distributed into four distinct profiles based on their overall level of IC and utilization of KMP. Then, the four different IC/KMP profiles were evaluated with regard to their innovation and market performance.Findings Consistent with the extant research, this study finds that the firms characterized with high levels of IC and high use of KMP are likely to outperform the firms with low overall levels of IC and KMP. On more interesting note, this study also demonstrates that firms characterized with high level of IC but only low utilization of KMP can match the innovation performance of the firms with high levels of IC and KMP.Practical implications While the results indicate that the level of IC alone could predict the innovation potential of the firm, the firms should use KMP to leverage the IC and to capitalize the knowledge potential. This result shows the merits of letting innovation flourish without strict managerial control, while pinpointing the relevance of knowledge management (KM) in exploitation of IC.Originality/value As one of the first attempts to merge the IC and KM approaches to find out which configurations could influence firm performance outcomes, this study provides the research community with valuable insights and sets the tone for further discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explain the difference of national intellectual capital from the perspective of national culture and to illustrate how national leaders or policy-makers increase their country’s national intellectual capital.Design/methodology/approach The study conducts a descriptive analysis combining the research outcome of Lin and Edvinsson’s (2011) national intellectual capital with Hofstede’s (2001) national culture. The research findings and results of these two studies were compared before running a t-test to determine whether countries with relatively high national intellectual capital have a higher level of certain national culture.Findings Based on the matching data of 26 countries, the study proposed that countries with certain national culture possess lower intellectual capital. Countries with high intellectual capital tend to exhibit a common culture of low power distance, weak uncertainty avoidance, and individualism.Practical implications The study suggests that for a country to enhance its overall intellectual capital, it should strive for a culture of equality, freedom and safety, and an active competitive environment, while avoiding social class distance in order to eliminate insecurity. The study proposes some suggestions to advance the countries’ national intellectual capital. In addition to admit the weakness of their intellectual capital due to cultural reasons, these countries could go a step further to increase their own national intellectual capital by increasing or enhancing certain national cultures if possible.Originality/value The study compares national intellectual capital and national culture and finds the relationship between these two sets of constructs. This study proves that national culture not only influences the strategies or behaviors of business level but also the competitiveness of national levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Organizational performance is increasingly grounded on knowledge-related issues. The two key academic discussions addressing knowledge in organizations are the intellectual capital (IC) and knowledge management (KM) literatures. However, there are very few earlier studies systematically combining these approaches and demonstrating how IC assets and their management mechanisms might interact in organizational value creation. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop and argue a theoretical model depicting the connections between IC, KM practices and organizational performance outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on IC and KM literatures to build a theoretical model on how intellectual asset assets and their management practices interact in producing organizational performance. Several conceptual models and related discussion on the interaction of IC and KM practices are put forth. Findings – Organizational value creation is based on both static (IC assets) and dynamic (KM practices) aspects of organizational knowledge, in various combinations. In this paper, potential interaction effects between IC assets and KM practices in terms of moderation and mediation were conceptually analysed, and four alternative models were proposed on how the knowledge-based issues affect organizational performance. Research limitations/implications – The paper is purely theoretical without empirical evidence. Practical implications – The paper suggests that organizational value creation is a function of both possessing valuable intangible assets as well as being able to manage these assets systematically. The four models concerning the interaction of IC assets and KM practices in value creation presented in the paper provide managers with tools to reflect about their own thinking model concerning how knowledge produces value in their own firms. Originality/value – By addressing both the “static” asset aspect of IC as well as the “dynamic” perspective of how leveraging IC assets can be enabled by systematic managerial activities, the paper combines the key issues in IC and KM literatures and demonstrates how intangible resources should be managed to produce value. The authors are not aware of any previous studies explicitly combining and distinguishing IC and KM fields to this extent. The paper therefore contributes to the literature on knowledge-based issues in organizations at large and potentially offers a theoretical grounding for many empirical and theoretical future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on national intellectual capital (NIC) in order to identify and compare the main models to measure and report IC at the country level and to examine the differences from and similarities to the IC approach for firms. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic literature review was carried out using three scientific databases and the five most important journals. Additional information was also reviewed. The search covered the period from January 2000 to December 2012. The models to measure intangibles were analyzed and compared using qualitative and quantitative techniques. Findings – The literature review shows that although such literature is still nascent and relatively scarce, there is growing interest in measuring, reporting, and managing IC for countries as a whole. NIC studies have been published in a small number of journals and more theoretical work is required. There are two main types of methods to assess and report on NIC. Despite the differences among models, their findings tend to converge. Practical implications – The information obtained contributes to the selection of models. This selection can be based on pragmatic considerations, such as the availability of data. Originality/value – There are several models to evaluate intangibles at the country level and different ways to measure them. The paper offers comparative information about the models to aid in selection for managing intangibles at the country level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study, mainly from the point of view of methodological accounting principles, the value added intellectual coefficient (VAIC), introduced by Pulic as a measure of intellectual capital efficiency (ICE). More specifically, the aim of the analysis is to investigate the strengths and weaknesses of the VAIC, primarily from the accounting theory perspective.Design/methodology/approach – The approach to the study of Pulic's contribution is as follows: first the authors submitted Pulic's methodology to a "conceptual" test, in order to check whether it contradicts any basic accounting principles. Then the results of this methodological test were compared to those obtained by the authors who have criticized Pulic's proposal, in order to check for any concordance or discordance with the literature. Findings – Several authors have discussed the crucial aspects of the VAIC. In this paper the focus is primarily on Andriessen's concerns, since they relate to the theoretical accounting aspects of Pulic's proposal, which is the topic of the paper. First of all, the authors have found that the suggestion of Pulic, centered on the Value Added Income Statement, does not modify or contradict any of the fundamental accounting principles. Therefore the criticisms made by Professor Andriessen should be subject to future research. Furthermore the performance measure proposed by Pulic (VAIC) is not a genuine rival to the traditional methodologies (e.g. the Economic Value Added (EVA)), as instead emerges from Pulic's papers. VAIC and EVA measure different aspects of the performance and therefore may usefully live together in a context in which the performance is measured through multicriteria methodologies, such as the Balanced Scorecard, Skandia Navigator or Intangible Asset Monitor. Practical implications – The practical implications of the results are: the correct placing of Pulic's contribution into the accounting principles theory; and the manner for using the VAIC methodology in a multicriteria performance evaluation. The authors believe that both aspects have relevant implications for business accounting practice. Originality/value – The paper shows that almost all of the misunderstandings of the literature debate, regarding Pulic's proposal, arise from a "semantic shift" generated by the fact that Pulic uses the terms human capital and structural capital with a completely different meaning from that of the Skandia Navigator. Authors' hope is that the study described in the paper will contribute to a better understanding of: the way to calculate and to interpret the efficiency of intellectual capital (IC) in a correct manner; and the role of IC on firm multicriteria performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to respond to calls to research recognising impediments to innovation practice. The paper argues that decision-making preferences by risk-averse managers are a key impediment to the organisational support required for the commercialisation of new ideas, by exploring the relationship between forms of intellectual capital (IC) and innovation. As a result, categories are derived that contrast with the current grand theory that IC drives innovative practices. Design/methodology/approach – The paper critically examines cross-sectional empirical data gathered through semi-structured interviews with 27 Australian executive managers from leading Australian companies and the public sector. These interviews elicited narratives about successful and unsuccessful innovations where interviewees had significant involvement in the outcome. In all, 54 narratives of innovation from executive managers – 27 successes and 27 failures, were analysed using the repertory grid technique to unearth patterns about the process of innovation, especially in relation to the stability of the business environment and the need for innovation. Findings – The paper finds that successful innovation in a context identified as demonstrating risk-averse decision-making behaviours requires different management approaches, depending on whether the innovation is radical, evolutionary or incremental. The paper discovers 12 different factors contributing to innovation processes and identifies those that are more likely to contribute to the success of innovative endeavours. From this the current grand theory that IC drives innovative practices is challenged by developing an IC-based differentiation theory of innovation practice. Research limitations/implications – As always, the observations and conclusions reached are limited to the 27 interviews and the Australian context. Further, findings are based on the authors' objective analysis. As with any qualitative study the authors also caution about generalising the findings, and as with any theory it should be used to develop insights into actions, rather than prescribing them. Practical implications – For educators it highlights the need to teach students to critique innovation rather than accepting that all innovation is beneficial. For researchers it shows they must avoid success bias by investigating both successful and failed innovations, developing differentiation theories of innovation practice. The findings highlight how senior managers responsible for enabling and resourcing innovation need to develop skills for identifying the innovation type enabled, matching it to an appropriate strategic approach. Finally, for policy makers it shows how different forms of successful innovation require different approaches, and each can be encouraged, developed and enabled differently. Originality/value – The paper is novel because it addresses the interaction and complexities of the different factors that enable successful innovation and possibly contribute to innovation failures, and the types of innovation relevant to each context. This approach is in contrast to the contemporary innovation literature, which tends to focus on successful radical innovation. As a result, the paper offers a more holistic view of the diverse and interrelated factors that impact innovation success and/or failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the measurement and the management of the dynamic aspects of intellectual capital through the use of causal mapping. Design/methodology/approach – The paper details the methods utilized in a single in-depth case study of a network-based business model. Findings – The paper illustrates how causal mapping can be used to understand how intellectual capital really works in the specific business context in which it is deployed. Moreover, exploiting the causal map as a platform for extracting a set of indicators can provide information on the length of the lag and the persistence of the effects of managerial actions. In addition, it can signal when and how to refine and update the causal map. The combination of these factors can potentially support the dynamic measurement and management of intellectual capital. Research limitations/implications – The paper presented has two main limitations. First, the use of a single case study to provide in-depth and rich data limits the generalizability of the observations. Second, the proposed approach has not been implemented in practice. Future research opportunities include interventionist-type case studies that put the causal mapping approach into practice. Practical implications – The paper highlights the need to build causal maps to enhance the measurement and management of intellectual capital, which is dynamic in nature. As a consequence, this tool can be useful for monitoring the intangibles of companies and networks and to better understand the contribution their intellectual capital makes to the value creation process. Originality/value – The paper openly questions the measurement of the fluid and dynamic aspects of intellectual capital. It proposes a tool for governing these aspects and it suggests that even the existing intellectual capital measurement systems can improve their usefulness by including these dimensions. So, a shift in intellectual capital measurement is prescribed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This article sets out to investigate the relationship between performance management systems (PMSs) and knowledge in public universities. In particular, this paper intends to verify how different choices related to PMS affect the nature of knowledge, in terms of the well-known tacit vs explicit dichotomy. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical focus is on the recent PMS changes that have been developing in the "modernisation agenda" of the Italian public sector. In particular, 15 case studies of PMS design in Italian universities are presented. The interpretation of the results is based on the Simon's theoretical framework related to the four levers of control. Findings – Results show how PMSs (in the different forms presented in the universities' evaluation plans) could represent an important social tool to facilitate the management of organizational knowledge, combining explicit and tacit forms of knowledge. Originality/value – This paper tackles a topic neglected in the knowledge management literature, aiming to open up a discussion on the possible interconnections between PMSs and knowledge in the public arena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Acknowledging the strategic relevance of assessing and managing intellectual capital (IC), this editorial first aims to discuss a classification of the IC assessment strategies and second seeks to introduce the main topics investigated by the papers collected in this special issue. The notion of IC assessment strategy is interpreted as the set of economic and managerial decisions and purposes characterising the assessment of an organisation's knowledge assets. It is argued that the definition of a knowledge asset assessment strategy has to take into account two dimensions: on the one hand, the nature of the managerial approach to be adopted for the assessment, distinguishing between "value management" and "value communication"; and on the other hand, the most appropriate "evaluation architecture" to be used in order to gather and report the assessment information for control and decision making. Design/methodology/approach – The approaches, evidences and insights discussed in this introduction result from the integration of the theory analysis with the insights extracted from the discussions that took place at the conference "International Forum on Knowledge Assets Dynamics" organized in June 2012 in Matera, Italy. At this leading international conference, experts discussed the importance of intellectual capital for organizational business excellence in the 21st century business landscape, the new IC key-value drivers to focus on in order to face emergent competitive challenges, and the research and management practices most appropriate to address complexity, uncertainty and changes of today's business landscape. Findings – Four IC assessment strategies are proposed, addressing their relevance for management actions. This represents the background to introduce the main topics investigated by the papers that are collected in this special issue. Originality/value – This editorial outlines the key IC assessment strategies that organisations and practitioners should take into account when designing measurement systems aimed at gathering information to inform IC management actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the intellectual capital (IC) performance of the Australian Financial Sector for the period 2006-2008. It also aims to examine the relationship amongst various constituents of IC performance and the relationship between IC performance and the financial performance of the financial sector. Design/methodology/approach – The value added intellectual coefficient (VAICe) approach developed by Pulic is used to determine the IC performance of the Australian financial sector. The required data to calculate different constituents of IC were obtained from the annual reports of Australian banks. Findings – The paper reveals that VAIC has a significant relation with human costs and the value addition made by the Australian banks. All Australian-owned banks have relatively higher human capital efficiency than capital employed efficiency and structural capital efficiency. The size of the bank in terms of total assets, total number of employees and total shareholders' equity has little or no impact on the IC performance of the Australian-owned banks. Research limitations/implications – The paper analyses IC performance of only 11 Australian-owned banks. However, the more than 90 per cent market share enjoyed by these banks still promises a degree of validation of the results of the paper from the Australian perspective or similar banking structure in some countries. Practical implications – The findings may serve as a useful input for financial institutions to apply knowledge management in their institutions and in addressing the factors affecting IC performance in order to maximise their value creation. The findings of the study would also provide some information to the stakeholders and potential investors to assess the value creation capabilities of financial sector companies. Originality/value – This is the first paper that examines the relationship of VAICe and the size of the firms for Australian-owned banks in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the issue of knowledge protection in knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS). In particular, it addresses four research questions: do KIBS firms perceive the necessity to protect their knowledge? If so, do they protect it? What method (or combinations of methods) they typically use? What are the main factors affecting the approaches to knowledge protection adopted by these companies? Design/methodology/approach – The paper illustrates and discusses the findings of a survey of 471 KIBS companies located in the Northeast of Italy and operating in three different sectors: IT Services, Design and Communication, Professional Services. Findings – The study classifies the types of knowledge protection mechanisms and investigates similarities and differences in knowledge protection between KIBS operating in distinct sectors, having different size, and pursuing different knowledge management strategies. Practical implications – The outcomes of the investigation can have some important implications from a managerial viewpoint. In particular, the study provides food for though to both CEOs of KIBS companies regarding the mechanisms of knowledge protection, and to policy makers about the possible public policies that may help companies to protect their competitive knowledge capital without hindering their networks of interaction. Originality/value – The issue of knowledge protection is relatively new in the literature of KIBS, and findings are quite controversial. In particular, the state-of-the-art research shows that there are some important gaps that the paper tries to fill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine intellectual capital research (ICR) methods and critically analyse how they have been utilised. The data set for this analysis is based on examining IC papers published in specialist IC and important generalist accounting journals from the years 2000 to 2011. Design/methodology/approach – The basis of the analysis is Alvesson and Deetz's critical management framework of "Insight", "Critique" and "Transformative redefinition" with the goal of widening the discourse about how to research IC. This paper is motivated by Guthrie et al., who identify a third stage of ICR which is "based on a critical and performative analysis of intellectual capital (IC) practices in action". Findings – This paper argues that there is an increasing performative research agenda however many researchers appear caught in an "evaluatory trap" (Olson et al.) whereby the researchers' approach to ICR remains stuck in an ostensive approach (see Mouritsen) that characterises second stage ICR (see Petty and Guthrie). The paper also identifies how many accounting researchers are impacted by a "dominance structure" and suggests that they need to break free from the dominance of "accounting" practice before they can understand and realise the potential of IC. Research limitations/implications – The implication of this paper for ICR and practice is to create a continued discourse about evolving approaches to ICR so we can continue communicating leading edge, third wave ICR, which develops IC theory in practice and effective IC management through praxis. Originality/value – From 2004 onwards, Guthrie et al. claim the third stage was gaining impetus and thus this paper is novel because it investigates how ICR has transitioned and how ICR might continue to develop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The competitive model has changed. In this context, society entered into an era in which intangible assets are the greatest assets of a company. However, some gaps and uncertainties are presented in the literature as to understand the value of a company based on knowledge intensive activities. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the methods of evaluation of intangible assets in the context of business, economic and strategic management.Design/methodology/approach This is a qualitative research. This research is characterized as descriptive, bibliographic, inductive.Findings The main results of this research can highlight the existence of valuation methods of intangible assets intended for specific industries, as public and/or private, that can be better aligned to the context of business; economic and/or strategic management.Originality/value It was found that intangible assets are a current topic and increasingly addressed in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the mediating effect of social capital (SC) on knowledge management (KM) and intellectual capital (IC).Design/methodology/approach A conceptual model of the connections between IC, KM, and SC was developed and the posited hypotheses were tested using a survey data set of 281 questionnaires collected from knowledge workers working in 72 information and communications technology companies operating in Jordan.Findings The findings show that knowledge documentation and knowledge transfer emerged as having the strongest effects on IC, followed by knowledge acquisition and knowledge creation, while knowledge application was found to have an insignificant effect. Also, knowledge transfer and knowledge acquisition emerged as the only two significant processes for the development of SC. Moreover, SC was found to partially and significantly mediate the effects of all processes on IC.Practical implications To promote the development of IC, particularly, in a knowledge-intensive business service (KIBS) sector, documentation, transfer, acquisition, and creation of knowledge are especially effective processes. Furthermore, SC can be significantly enhanced through ensuring effective internal knowledge transfer and acquisition practices. Nurturing IC in a knowledge-intensive context can also be significantly enhanced through looking at the firm as a cooperative knowledge-sharing entity, i.e. investing in SC.Originality/value This is the first empirical study that has examined the links among KM processes, SC, and IC in a KIBS sector within an “oil-poor,” “human resource-rich” Arab developing country context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to tackle the problem of societal knowledge management from the perspective of critical management research. The focus is on national intellectual capital analysis as part of societal knowledge management. First, the aim is to identify the dominant discourse that governs the discussion around national intellectual capital and its measurement. Second, the aim is to explore the prospects for an alternative conceptualisation and to propose a heuristic tool through which it is possible to approach national intellectual capital and its measurement in a critical, informed and analytic way. Design/methodology/approach – The study takes a critical standpoint and leans loosely on the methodology of critical discourse analysis by Norman Fairclough. Findings – The paper argues for the emancipation of national intellectual capital from the orthodoxy that relates it to economic growth, quantitative measurement, objectivity and universality towards a discourse that regards the value of national intellectual capital and its analysis more broadly, recognising the contextual and subjective nature of national intellectual capital. Research limitations/implications – The conceptual analysis provides a basis for further empirical assessment of national intellectual capital. Societal implications – The paper offers a critical conceptual lens through which to approach societal knowledge management. The constructed heuristic tool for analysing national intellectual capital can serve as a basis for strategic knowledge-based development. Originality/value – The paper offers a critical reflection of intellectual capital on the national/societal level and a starting point for critical societal knowledge management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The paper concerns the research problem of how to analyse the performance of a knowledge society as a whole, and in particular, of how to analyse national intellectual capital. The paper aims to build a conceptual foundation for national intellectual capital performance, and based on this, to construct a multidimensional measurement system for Finland and to investigate its usefulness. Design/methodology/approach – The framework and measurement system of national intellectual capital performance is constructed on the basis of the intellectual capital and knowledge management research literature. The illustration of the measurement system is carried out using empirical data from various institutions. Findings – The paper argues for the strategic, dialogic and societal measurement of national intellectual capital. Research limitations/implication – There was neither an exact purpose of measurement nor a detailed strategy for the knowledge society to aim at. Because of this, the measurement system serves as an illustrative example that provides a starting point for more in-depth case studies on national intellectual capital. Practical implications – This paper is targeted at policymakers and government officials concerned with questions related to national knowledge-based development. The framework and measurement system constructed can serve as a basis for the strategic measurement of knowledge societies. Originality/value – The paper shows how to apply the concept of national intellectual capital performance to analyse knowledge society. The approach proposed takes into account the strategic nature of national intellectual capital that has been ignored in earlier studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to answer the question "What are the barriers to the use of IC concepts?" by discussing and critiquing two contemporary grand theories about IC, being market-to-book ratios as a representation of IC and that disclosing IC leads to greater profitability. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews contemporary IC literature and explores reasons why these grand theories of IC hinder its adoption. Findings – The research finds that these grand theories mislead because they cannot be proven empirically. Therefore, managers should attempt to better understand the possible causal relationships between their people, processes and stakeholders (human, structural and relational capital) rather than adopting someone else's mousetrap. Practical implications – In order to improve the use of IC concepts they should be examined as differentiation theories of practice that take into account the agent (people) as a unit of analysis, the actual practice of IC and the resultant changes within an organisation, rather than trying to achieve the impossible generalisations of IC grand theories. Researchers need to conduct more critical and performative research into IC rather than ostensive research. Originality/value – Allows academics and practitioners to understand the barriers to implementing IC in organisations, potentially allowing for the development of better engineered IC practices rather than the development of additional IC models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explain how intellectual capital (IC) is enacted and used in non-profit symphony orchestras from an organisational behaviour perspective. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a nine-month case study on two community-based non-profit orchestras. The method uses field observations, interviews, factor analysis, and visual models in explaining how IC is connected to organisational practices. Findings – IC is perhaps best understood in its context to specific organisations rather than as discrete items that are allocated. Research limitations/implications – The case study is limited to non-profit orchestras based on an organisational behaviour perspective. The results, however, invite further research into how IC is used as a resource towards strategic planning. Practical implications – The study results point towards managing IC resources, given that they are grounded in actions and practices of the organisation. Questions of "how" (how is IC used?) drive the study versus questions of "what" (identification of IC). Originality/value – Understanding IC as context-dependent provides management guidance to NPO orchestras for improving volunteer participation, motivation, and meeting personal goals. It also informs boards of possible outcomes in implementing organisational change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to point out whether Italian cultural organizations recognize, measure and manage intellectual capital (IC). Design/methodology/approach - An empirical research on the subject of (IC) in cultural organizations has been carried out. Interviews have been realized with directors of Italian cultural organizations and a questionnaire submitted to a sample of 100 individuals involved in the Italian cultural sector. Findings - Italian cultural organizations recognize the importance of IC, but they do not measure IC. Nonetheless, they claim to manage IC, even if they do not measure it through numerical indicators. A non-metric approach for the visualization of IC has been rejected, as well. Controversial and ambiguous statements are discussed. Research limitations/implications - There is a gap between the directors' statements and their organizational behaviour. Most of them declare the need for IC numerical indicators, but only in one case is an overall IC performance measurement system in place. Practical implications - The usefulness of the paper is that practitioners may reflect on the obstacles to the implementation of an IC measurement system in cultural organizations. Originality/value - Cultural organizations are "unknown terrain" in terms of research into IC and may therefore suggest an innovative path for the analysis of IC. In this context, the paper discusses the need for either a metric approach or a non-metric approach for the representation - and then the management - of IC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]