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.

Using a unique dataset of 1270 Egyptian listed firm-year observations over 2003-2014, we investigate whether the basic premises according to the pecking order or market timing theories provide an explanation for the capital structure mix of Egyptian firms. Current work has provided mixed evidence in regard to these capital structure theories in the Egyptian context. Our results show that the most profitable firms are less likely to resort to external financing. However, in case where financial deficits exist then equity issued appears to track the deficit rather than debt. Moreover, issuances appear to track deficit periods instead of market timing attempts. Results obtained support notion that the typical Egyptian firm follows revised pecking order theory, with the importance of the four conventional determinants, profitability, tangibility, size effect and growth opportunity in debt holdings.

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