INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL AND PERFORMANCE OF NEW VENTURE HIGH-TECH FIRMS

Abstract

Intellectual capital (IC) has been proposed as an essential factor for organizational survival and maintenance of competitive strength. However, there has been very limited consensus on what encompasses IC and how it can best be conceptualized and measured. Further, very little empirical work has specifically examined the relationship between IC and financial performance. Given these shortcomings, this paper focuses first on the impact IC has on performance and secondly on the role strategic alliances may have on this relationship. While we argue that IC will impact performance, we anticipate this relationship will be moderated by strategic alliances and other inter-firm collaborations. Findings reveal interesting relationships that suggest further effort should be placed on the conceptualization and measurement of IC, specifically regarding its relationship to firm performance.