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.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of intellectual capital (IC) on sustainable economic and financial performance (EFP) and value creation (VC) in Brazilian companies. Design/methodology/approach Based on finance and accounting theories, a quantitative and descriptive long-term study was carried out in the companies listed on the Brazil Stock Exchange and Over-the-Counter Market (B3), covering 20 years period. Findings The results indicate that IC positively influences profitability, corporate return and organizational value sustainably; the most intangible-intensive Brazilian companies listed on B3 presented more robust results than the least intangible-intensive; and IC contributes to a systematic increase in EFP and VC over time. Research limitations/implications Using a well-established metric, the IC-INDEX, the IC and its effects were measured, obtaining theoretical contributions (expanding the understanding of the IC influence in sustainable EFP and VC from a long-term perspective – one subject still unexplored in the literature); and empirical (increasing the understanding of the IC’s role as a driver of competitiveness, performance and organizational value). Practical implications This study increases the understanding of the theoretical and practical effects of IC, also providing a competitive benchmarking process to access sustainable EFP and VC of companies and their industries. Originality/value The originally applied and validated proposal extends existing theory by offering a set of indicators to scale the contribution of IC to competitiveness from the perspective of long-term (historical) corporate outcomes.

A pesquisa ora descrita teve como objetivo analisar os efeitos do capital intelectual (CI) sobre a lucratividade das empresas brasileiras. Nesse ensejo, realizou-se um estudo quantitativo, descritivo e aplicado, nas companhias listadas na BM&FBovespa com base em dados secundários, em um recorte multi-setorial, durante o período de 2010 a 2014, mediante a utilização de testes empíricos (estatísticas descritivas e multivariadas), análise gráfica e regressão com dados em painel. O estudo justifica-se pela relevância do tema, dimensionando a influência do conhecimento materializado no CI sobre a lucratividade organizacional, além de inovar pela proposta de mensuração do CI desenvolvida e aplicada. Os resultados corroboram e complementam as teorias de contabilidade, finanças e gestão, comprovando que se pode aferir, através de indicadores financeiros, a contribuição do CI em aspectos do desempenho financeiro das empresas brasileiras. Os resultados revelaram que (i) o CI influência positivamente na lucratividade dessas empresas, medida por diferentes métricas; (ii) as empresas listadas na BM&FBovespa, mais intensivas em CI, apresentam lucratividade superior às demais; (iii) o CI colabora para o aumento da lucratividade, de forma sistemática, ao longo do tempo; e (iv) os setores apresentam índices de CI e lucratividade diferentes entre si.