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Intellectual capital (IC) has been an important element of business management for some time. Understanding the role of IC and consciously incorporating it into organisational and management processes is one of the key aspects of building unique competitive advantages in the context of sustainable development. The basic goal of the research was to determine which IC components are given greater importance by the management staff of selected Polish enterprises when shaping their operating strategy and which elements are the object of greater concern during everyday functioning. A statistical analysis of the survey results obtained was carried out, allowing for the characterisation of both the phenomena and trends in the entire surveyed population and taking into account the division criteria related to the size of enterprises and the specificity of their activities. The basic research instrument consisted of a questionnaire. This study covered the territory of southern Poland. The results showed that there are certain elements of IC that managers focus on in particular, and there are differences in the approach that is related to the selected criteria of analysis. This study adds to the existing knowledge of the key elements of strategy for companies managing strategic capital in the context of sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anti-trafficking programmes in Italy have been implemented for more than two decades. Yet, little empirical evidence is available regarding their functioning. This paper draws on 56 semi-structured interviews carried out in the period of 2019–2021 with practitioners and beneficiaries of the N.A.Ve anti-trafficking programme. The interviews focused on practitioners' experience working with Nigerian women and on Nigerian women's experiences of the programme upon completion. By building on critical anti-trafficking studies and the autonomy of migration perspective, this contribution looks at the relationship between practitioners and Nigerian women admitted to the programme by addressing the following questions: what is the experience of practitioners and beneficiaries in the N.A.Ve programme? To what extent is the structural violence of the counter-trafficking apparatus reproduced in the relational dynamics between practitioners, particularly Case Managers, and beneficiaries? How do beneficiaries cope with such violence? I argue that the Case Managers' approach builds on "stratified layers of institutional knowledge" and that this concept is useful to highlight how their knowledge derives both from the counter-trafficking apparatus and their social work background. Furthermore, I present evidence that such an approach reproduces structural violence through processes of "conditional inclusion". Nigerian women denounced this violence but also seized the relational capital grown from rapport, calling for more engagement with people rather than programme objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of intellectual capital is increasingly recognized as one of the most important strategic assets of organizations. The significance of intellectual resources, which are now critical for every business unit, is underlined in this paper. Thus, this research aims to identify the effectiveness of intellectual capital and its components on organizational innovation at Sulaimani Polytechnic University in Sulaymaniyah Governorate from the point of view of the faculty members (academic and administrative staff). The study developed both theoretical and empirical sections. The descriptive approach was used to determine the effectiveness of intellectual capital, and the quantities of research methodologies were used to measure this effectiveness. The study aims to investigate the correlations and causal effects between intellectual capital and organizational innovation. Moreover, the study investigates the correlations and causal effects between human capital, structural capital, and relational capital on radical and incremental innovation in the organization. To achieve this, the 392 total samples were collected and analyzed by SPSS 22 software. The findings provide evidence that intellectual capital and its components have a positive and statistically significant effect on organizational innovation and its components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing complexity and dynamism of the modern work experience, the importance of the psychological contract has become increasingly clear. Organizations and researchers alike have recognized the implications of this contract for employee performance, satisfaction and well-being. However, certain work contexts can increase psychosocial risks, making it crucial to investigate the individual and contextual characteristics that can promote well-being and mitigate risks. In this study, we examined the impact of psychological contract types and task repetitiveness on organizational commitment among call center employees. By conducting a cross-sectional study involving 201 call center employees working in-person and administering an ad hoc questionnaire, we aimed to enrich the scientific literature on the psychological contract and its implications for the call center work environment. Our findings revealed that a transactional psychological contract has a negative impact on affective and normative commitment, potentially undermining employees' sense of obligation and responsibility towards these organizations. To promote healthy work relationships and well-being among call center employees, we suggest the importance of a relational psychological contract. By highlighting the role of psychological contract types in organizational commitment, our study offers valuable insights for both researchers and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine the impact of enterprise risk management (ERM) on the firm performance of capital markets in developing nations such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. In order to achieve the study's primary purpose, the economic environments of Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, three neighboring and developing nations, were examined from 2012 to 2019. The hypotheses were tested using panel regression analysis. According to the data, ERM might boost the return on assets and lower the total assets of Iranian enterprises while raising the total assets of Iraqi firms. In addition, the data demonstrated that ERM decreased sales growth and boosted net profit margins in Saudi Arabian companies. ERM enhanced the return on assets in Iranian enterprises and sales growth in Saudi Arabian firms while lowering sales growth in Iraqi firms. In addition, it was shown that total asset turnover increased in non-fraudulent Iranian companies but fell in their Iraqi counterparts. The outcomes of this study revealed substantial evidence regarding the financial conditions and performance of companies operating in emerging nations. As a result, it can be inferred that ERM efficiency and firm performance can be influenced by the firm's nature and structure, as the findings in these three economic environments were fundamentally distinct. This research contributed to the literature on ERM as one of the essential elements influencing business performance in emerging economies with varying capital market laws. In addition, the literature and acquired data demonstrate the scope of fraud and its influence on the performance of businesses in developing nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the impact of relational capital and relationship networks on business internationalisation, in particular in the technology sector in relation to internationalised Andalusian university spin-offs. First, a literature review based on these theories is carried out, from which a series of hypotheses are established in a pioneering way. These allow us to design a model of relationships that is empirically tested through a quantitative analysis. The study constructs were measured using five-point Likert scales. Once the data had been collected through the survey developed, they were coded for statistical analysis using the SPSS Statistics V28.0 programme. It is shown that the output of the international activity of these companies depends on their capacity to develop and sustain relationships with each of the different actors involved. Along this line, university spin-offs obtain diverse and strategically valuable external information and resources, significantly reducing business failure chances. The elements that influence the internationalisation process of the companies under study are relationships with customers, allies/collaborators, suppliers, and the company's reputation and image. Similarly, those referring to relations with competitors, public bodies, and organisations have less impact. Nevertheless, it is evident that companies need to commit more time and resources to create, maintain, and develop relationships with different actors. Therefore, a strategic tool focused on international management is provided, based on the relationships of the spin-offs studied, which may constitute a starting point for its applicability to other industrial sectors and geographical areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigates whether intellectual capital (IC) is related to audit fees and financial statement restatements in companies listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange (ISE). The present study is a pioneer investigation of this topic in emerging markets. Using a sample of all listed companies on the ISE from 2014 to 2020, the research hypotheses are tested with multiple regression based on panel data and the fixed-effects model. The results demonstrate that intellectual capital is positively and significantly related to normal and abnormal audit fees. Moreover, findings indicate direct and significant relationships between intellectual capital components and normal and abnormal audit fees. This means investment in IC components is likely to determine the auditors' evaluation of a given client's riskiness. Thus, an efficient IC investment level might be considered a key factor that companies are expected to consider. The findings of this study provide valuable implications for users of financial statements, analysts, and policymakers with information regarding IC, risk determinants, and audit fees. Policymakers can improve market efficiency by implementing regulations that foster IC disclosure as a risk-determinant factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrating the resource-based theory, the relational view, and the contingency theory, this research advances the strategic alliance literature by providing a theoretical framework that explains alliance outcomes from both the inter-organizational and the external environmental perspectives. Specifically, we analyzed the effect of complementary resources on alliance performance through the mechanism of relational capital in an uncertain environment. We also explored the moderating roles of environmental dynamism and environmental hostility in the indirect relationship between resource complementarity and alliance performance with a moderated mediation model. Based on the empirical evidence from a survey of 210 alliance firms, we found that complementary resources that a firm can access from its strategic alliance motivate it to invest relational capital in the partnership, which in turn improves alliance performance. However, the positive link between resource complementarity and relational capital is attenuated under a highly dynamic environment. More importantly, results of the moderated mediation analysis suggest that the mediating effect of relational capital between resource complementarity and alliance performance is stronger when the environment is less dynamic, but this effect is not moderated by environmental hostility. These findings imply that complementary resources are critical antecedents of alliance performance, yet firms could not leverage the value of complementary resources to achieve alliance success without sound relational mechanisms or the ability to adapt to the uncertain environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressing the needs of customers is fundamental to the success of companies, particularly in the long-term. In fact, most companies use customer satisfaction as a method to determine and evaluate their performance and outline their strategies for the future. Therefore, the main objective is to better understand entrepreneurship and new product development antecedents and implications on customer satisfaction, a key element for sustainable development. A model is proposed to assess the relationship between two antecedents of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and new product development (NPD) and a measure of performance. Based on a survey sample of 137 tourism SMEs, the model was tested using Partial Least Squares (PLS). The results show that both the relational capital and innovativeness positively influence entrepreneurship and NPD. They also suggest a positive relationship between entrepreneurship and customer satisfaction. Although there is a positive impact of NPD on customer satisfaction, this relationship was not significant. In addition, the results indicate that relational capital and innovativeness positively influence customer satisfaction through entrepreneurship and NPD. Consequently, to improve the sustainable performance of tourism firms and to increase customer satisfaction, managers must invest in the development of entrepreneurship as well as in the development of new products and their antecedents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the global economy fluctuated while the Chinese economy remained relatively stable—a distinction that has aroused people's curiosity about the unique operation of Chinese enterprises. Compared with the regularity and competitiveness of traditional market strategy theory, Chinese business management pays more attention to informal institutions and relational capital, which is one of the key features that distinguishes Chinese firms from their Western counterparts. Yet, theoretical research on relational capital against the Chinese cultural background remains scarce, and the particularity laws of the socialist market economy are still unclear. Based on the social capital theory, this paper redefines the concept of relational capital in the context of China and uses factor analysis to construct a relational capital measurement index. On this basis, non-state-owned manufacturing enterprises are then used as a sample to explore the interactive relationship between relational capital and sustainability risk. The empirical results show that relational capital can effectively reduce sustainability risk and ensure sustainable operation. In addition, enterprise growth, enterprise development, and marketization can strengthen the role of relational capital and positively regulate the relationship between relational capital and sustainability risk. This paper innovatively constructs the concept and index system of relational capital in the Chinese context, which is the perfection of relational capital theory. At the same time, it verifies the impact of relational capital on business sustainability, revises the correct cognition of relational capital, and supplements the deficiencies of the extant social socialist market economy research. Supported by both theoretical research and empirical conclusions, corresponding management suggestions are put forward for enterprises, governments, and managers to scientifically guide management practice and provide new ideas for future Chinese-style economic research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research is to investigate intellectual capital as a driver of technological innovation considering the industrial revolution in Russia's transportation sector. The study was driven by the recent technological advancements in Russia's transportation industry and the huge economic importance of the sector to the economy, showing the need to understand the progress achieved in the sector. The study was carried out using primary data collected from respondents in managerial positions in firms operating in the transportation sector. A total of 455 respondents were used, and data were collected using a structured closed-ended questionnaire. The fields of intellectual capital considered were structural, social, human, and relational capital. The model was evaluated using CFA, reliability, and validity tests, while the study hypotheses were tested using SEM. The results reveal that structural capital, social capital, human capital, and relational capital have a significant and positive influence on technological innovation in Russia's transportation sector. Human and social capital was found to have the largest effect. The study recommends that, for firms to implement technological innovation, they should consider human capital, such as specialized knowledge, skills, expertise, experiences, and abilities embedded within organizations personnel, and social capital, such as effective communication, the laid down mechanisms of coordination and communications within the organization, human ties, trust, and relationships. They should also improve their absorptive technology capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social enterprises, as a new form of organization where public welfare and business coexist, are gradually becoming an important power in innovating social governance. However, the development of social enterprises in China is still in its infancy. Social entrepreneurs have a profound impact on the growth of social enterprises and may bring advantages to the development of enterprises, while barriers to legitimacy commonly faced by social enterprises hinder the development of the enterprise to some extent. Social enterprise performance has always been a research focus in social entrepreneurship, on which many studies have been reported, while it is seldom investigated from the perspective of entrepreneurial traits. The research aims to clarify how entrepreneurial traits influence the growth of social enterprises in an institutional scenario. Taking 208 social enterprises in China as samples, the relationship among entrepreneurial traits, relational capital, cognitive legitimacy, and social enterprise performance was verified using SPSS 22.0 and methods including correlation analysis and regression analysis based on trait theory and relational capital theory. The results indicate that: (1) entrepreneurial traits exert a significant positive effect on both the economic and social performance of social enterprises; (2) relational capital plays a mediating effect between entrepreneurial traits and social enterprise performance; (3) cognitive legitimacy only positively regulates the relationship between relational capital and economic performance. The conclusions may enrich the theory of traits and provide new ideas allowing social enterprises to overcome the dilemma of resource constraints and improve their performance. Social entrepreneurs need to pay close attention to cultivating their entrepreneurial traits and actively establishing relational capital; governments should create an institutional environment conducive to social entrepreneurship, to promote improvement in social enterprise performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ICT sector has been recognized as a sector with great potential for the growth and development of the economy of the Republic of Serbia. This initiated the need to analyze the strategic aspect of the ICT sector intellectual capital concept. The purpose of the paper is to empirically test the impact of intellectual capital on business performance within the ICT sector. The research was conducted on a sample of 611 employees in ICT sector companies in the Republic of Serbia. The partial least squares method was used to model the structural equations for analysis of the primary data and testing of the hypotheses. The findings show a positive and statistically significant relationship between individual components of intellectual capital and the business performance of ICT companies, which confirms the hypotheses. Human capital proved to have the strongest influence on the business performance of ICT companies. This paper provides new scientific knowledge which can contribute to creating long-term strategies that shall focus on more sophisticated management of intellectual capital, compared to the traditional tasks of allocating resources of the organization. The findings may be of interest to other sectors stakeholders to provide deeper understanding on intellectual capital as an essential source of companies' competitive advantage that can positively impact business performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding of intellectual capital's influence on the firm performance has received immense interest in recent years. In this view, the impact of various intellectual capital components, including human, structural, and relational capital, on the performance of small- and medium-sized Malaysian manufacturing enterprises were examined. A correlation between intellectual capital and firm performance were established based on the mediating role of innovation capability. To achieve this goal, a stratified sampling method was used wherein 262 participants' responses from the focused manufacturing firms were obtained and analyzed via the structural equation model (SEM) and resource-based view (RBV). Statistical tools like SPSS.v25 and SmartPLS.v3 were used. The results showed that the relationship between intellectual capital and firm performance was strengthened due to the mediation of innovation capability, thereby gaining higher competitive advantages. It was asserted that the present comprehensive analyses may offer a useful information and guidance to the academics, owners/managers, and policymakers involving the impact of intellectual capital development towards improving the Malaysian SMEs performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The economic system has experienced heavy consequences caused by the recent pandemic. This paper investigates the interaction between the crisis and organization reaction, focusing on the female managerial role and contribution to overcoming the crisis in male-owned and managed companies. To achieve the research objectives, we used a qualitative research method based on an explorative case study. The results show that female managerial skills have fostered organizational resilience in terms of: (i) the attitude to change; (ii) the ability to promote new initiatives; and (iii) the ability to have initiated, consolidated, and managed solid formal relationships with institutional stakeholders. Our results also highlight the decisive contribution of corporate governance (even if male-oriented) in favoring the growth and autonomy of women in positions of responsibility. This contribution is evidenced by (iv) increasing delegation of roles and responsibilities in managing relationships with institutional stakeholders to women managers; and (v) recognizing women managers' talents in terms of career progression. The originality of this work is represented by the survey that aims to determine how the female management of businesses managed and owned by men can foster the resilience of companies. On the other hand, this paper investigates how female leadership drives organizational resilience during unexpected shocks, opening an interdisciplinary viewpoint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relational capital and organizational performance were important factors for achieving sustainable development of the supply chain, and knowledge sharing could create and maintain sustainable competitive advantages of the supply chain. This study examined the comprehensive relationship among relational capital, explicit and tacit knowledge sharing, and organizational performance and the mediating roles of explicit and tacit knowledge sharing between relational capital and organizational performance in the supply chain by using data collected from a questionnaire survey. SPSS, AMOS, and a structural equation model were used to analysis these data and the aforementioned relationships. The results confirmed that relational capital had a positive impact on explicit and tacit knowledge sharing, there was no relation to organizational performance, and explicit and tacit knowledge sharing played mediating roles between relational capital and organizational performance in the supply chain. The research results could provide theoretical guidance for managers to formulate sustainable development strategies that maintain good relationships and economic benefits of enterprises in the supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a high tendency for conversion from a statistical economy based on measuring tangible assets into investigating non-tangible capital drive in the present economic status worldwide. The implications of intellectual capital on innovation performance have widely attracted attention among researchers in the global arena. The present study investigated the impacts of intellectual capital on innovation performance in the banking sector as influencing non-tangible assets. Besides, the role of dynamic capabilities in moderating the relationship between intellectual capital and innovation performance was examined. A purposive sampling technique was applied to 364 participants from Iraqi commercial banks as the research context. Thereafter, structural equation modelling (SEM) was utilised to analyse the collected data from the survey questionnaire using SPSS.v25 and AMOS.v24. The study found that the employees' levels of intellectual capital significantly increased toward innovativeness through the moderating role of dynamic capabilities between intellectual capital and innovation performance in the commercial banking sector for better competitive advantages. Consequently, the study provides valuable insights and guidance for academicians and practitioners on the impacts of developing intellectual capital on enhancing competitive performance, especially in the context of Iraqi commercial banks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the years, several studies have been conducted to identify the impact of various intellectual capital components on the organizational performances. However, most of these works greatly replicated the applications and uses of different intellectual capital components (human, structural, relational, social) without addressing the shortcomings related to their empowerment toward the innovation perception of the organizations. Based on this fact, we comprehensively reviewed the existing literatures that strongly influenced the innovation performance of the financial sector. Standard inclusion and exclusion criteria were used for the critical and systematic evaluation of the past studies. It identified the main limitations of intellectual capital components efficiency in the financial sector that could considerably affect their desired innovation performances in the dynamic and competitive market scenarios. In addition, a correlation was established among the organizational growth of intellectual capital components and innovation performance, leading to positive implications on intellectual capital components development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of international markets is constantly emphasized for small and medium enterprises(SMEs). In previous studies, technological innovation capabilities were emphasized as a factor that enables SMEs to compete in the international market. To this end, SMEs need to cooperate with external partners to strengthen their technological innovation capabilities to thus improve their international performance. With the perspective view of open innovation, this research explores the effects of relational capital and technological innovation capability on international performance, with a particular focus on the moderating effect of alliance proactiveness. Building on previous literature regarding internationalization, technological innovation, and alliance proactiveness, research hypotheses were developed and tested using data collected from 175 SMEs. A hierarchical regression analysis was applied. The analysis showed that, first, relational capital had a significant effect on the technological innovation capability. Second, technological innovation capability has a significant influence on the international performance. Third, technological innovation capability mediated the relationship between relational capital and international performance. Finally, alliance proactiveness was found to moderate the relationship between technological innovation capability and international performance. The key research findings imply that relational capital and alliance proactiveness are the key factors of international performance, as they improved the development of the technological innovation capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article was to present the results of empirical research conducted in enterprises of all sizes operating in Poland and Central Europe. The study focused on the impact of relational capital on the prevention of and intervention in the event of a crisis in a company. The author assumes that there is a link between a company's relational capital and its susceptibility to crisis phenomena. The research carried out allowed different conclusions to be drawn. It turns out that the studied companies were characterized by a high level of relational capital. Their internal relational capital—particularly the relations between employees and company owners—was especially important to them. Relations of the surveyed companies with external stakeholders were also important. In response to the question about the role of relational capital in anti-crisis measures undertaken by companies, it appears that the relational capital of the companies surveyed allowed them, in their opinion, to avoid many crisis situations. Thanks to the right attitudes of the surveyed companies' stakeholders, they have often managed to avoid crises. This situation also applies to the recent crisis caused by COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a statistical survey of 760 front-line medical staff during the COVID-19 epidemic, this study attempts to explore the relationships between relational capital, psychological security, post-traumatic growth and the meaning of work. Data analysis verifies that trust, reciprocity, and identification can promote post-traumatic growth by enhancing the individual's psychological security. A high level of work meaning can enhance the role of trust, reciprocity and identification in promoting psychological security. Work meaning has a moderated mediating effect when trust and reciprocity affect post-traumatic growth through psychological security, but no moderated mediating effect is found when identification affects post-traumatic growth through psychological security.

Many organizations choose business sustainability to meet environmental, social, and financial demands to ensure responsible and long-term success. In order to achieve this, enterprises have to fully and optimally apply their resources. Intellectual capital is one of their most important resources creating market value and reinforcing sustainable competitive advantages. The main goal of the paper is to indicate which elements of the intellectual capital of small and medium-sized enterprises in Poland have the greatest impact on their sustainable development in the opinions of managers. The study took into account 1041 economic entities. Managers of small and medium enterprises operating in Poland have been asked to assess the elements of intellectual capital. The paper utilizes a new approach to the importance assessment of the impact of each characteristic on business sustainability. It is based on intuitionistic fuzzy sets. The proposed method is especially useful when variables are measured on an ordinal scale. In accordance with the classical theory of measurement, it does not allow the majority of arithmetic calculations to be performed. Based on the results of the research it has been determined that the most important factors are those which constitute human capital. Moreover, the observation has been made that there is a high degree of coherence of opinions expressed by managers of small and medium enterprises. The results of the research can be applied by both managers of enterprises in managing intellectual capital and employees of companies, by increasing their awareness of the topic of the influence of intellectual capital on business sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmers' markets have received much attention in many countries, and the amount of research on farmers' markets is gradually increasing. The consumption process of consumers at farmers' markets include both economic and social aspects, but most past studies have only focused on a single aspect. The economic perspective mainly focuses on transaction issues such as purchase motives, quality, satisfaction, purchase behavior, and post-purchase behavior, whereas the social perspective focuses on the social relations and psychological feelings created when consumers go to markets. This study aimed to integrate the economic and social perspectives and analyze the relationships among product performance evaluation, relational capital, repurchase intention, and subjective well-being of consumers at farmers' markets after their purchase experiences. I chose three recurrent farmers' markets in Taiwan, obtained 358 valid samples, and performed structural equation modelling analysis. The results indicated that the economic product performance exerted a significant and positive influence on repurchase intention, but its influence on subjective well-being was not significant. In contrast, the social relational capital was found to be a positive and significant factor of both repurchase intention and subjective well-being. On the whole, relational capital is more important than product performance. The suggestions for practice were as follows. First, farmers' markets have economic and social value and are thus worth being promoted by government agencies. Second, the managers of farmers' markets should implement a set of management mechanisms to ensure product performance and also create a market atmosphere that facilitates social interactions between farmers and consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]