Management of Green Intellectual Capital: Evidence-Based Literature Review and Future Directions

Abstract

This paper presents a systematic, evidence-based review of Green Intellectual Capital (GIC) management, a construct first introduced in 2008 and increasingly recognized as a management concept in recent years. This review covers the literature on GIC from 2008 to 2020 and addresses the role played by intellectual capital as a framework to promote sustainability in organizations. With the aim of clarifying our knowledge on the application of the GIC paradigm, this paper reviews the findings on the outcomes achieved by organizations that adopt the GIC paradigm, the antecedents and possible mediation-moderation factors that enhance this process, and the contexts in which such outcomes emerge. Findings show that GIC offers a significant framework for promoting sustainability in organizations. However, even though this study underlines the increasing trend of GIC, there remains very little reliable data on the subject, particularly addressing the role played by GIC as a framework to promote sustainability in organizations. This literature review is valuable for both researchers and practitioners. From a theoretical point of view, it allows one to synthesize the outcomes of GIC to better delineate how it affects organizations and the environment. From a practical point of view, opening a debate about the actual outcomes of GIC allows one to overcome the theory–practice divide, making the value of GIC more accessible to practitioners and managers and pushing them to opt for a green shift in their organizations.

The Effects of Green Intellectual Capital on Green Innovation: A Green Supply Chain Integration Perspective

“…Researchers have begun to pay increased attention to the management of GIC recently ( Benevene et al, 2021 ). Based on the definitions proposed by Chen (2008) , López-Gamero et al (2011) , and Chang and Chen (2012) , GIC refers to the sum of various intangible assets including knowledge, information, technology, and environmental protection and green management abilities, which create value and provide sustainable competitive advantages for enterprises.…”

Intellectual Capital and Financial Performance: The Mediating Effect of Sustainability Performance

“…Relational capital contributes to promoting sustainability programs in an effort to build organizational relationships with external stakeholders. Relational capital also plays a role in positioning social and environmental programs to increase the reputation and value of the organization Meanwhile, structural capital helps provide the infrastructure for sustainability programs to increase the organization's competitiveness and market share (Alvino et al, 2021;Benevene, Buonomo, Kong, Pansini, & Farnese, 2021). Several studies have shown that IC encourages SMEs toward more sustainable performance, aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (Ahmad et al, 2022;Alvino et al, 2021;Khan et al, 2021;Yusliza et al, 2020).…”

“…Meanwhile, relational capital helps build good organizational relationships with external stakeholders. Thus, IC becomes a strategic internal organizational resource to achieve a competitive advantage (Dar & Mishra, 2020) as well as increased competitiveness and financial growth (Benevene et al, 2021;Gross-Gołacka et al, 2020). Even though IC has become a rare, valuable, and irreplaceable organizational asset (Benevene et al, 2021), firms are more likely to gain a competitive advantage by investing in intangible assets (Gross-Gołacka et al, 2020;Sapta., Rustiarini, Kusuma, & Astakoni, 2021).…”

“…Thus, IC becomes a strategic internal organizational resource to achieve a competitive advantage (Dar & Mishra, 2020) as well as increased competitiveness and financial growth (Benevene et al, 2021;Gross-Gołacka et al, 2020). Even though IC has become a rare, valuable, and irreplaceable organizational asset (Benevene et al, 2021), firms are more likely to gain a competitive advantage by investing in intangible assets (Gross-Gołacka et al, 2020;Sapta., Rustiarini, Kusuma, & Astakoni, 2021). If the company utilizes IC to its full advantage, it becomes a new resource to improve business performance (Khan et al, 2021;Papíková & Papík, 2022).…”

Mathematical Modeling of Intellectual Capital and Business Efficiency of Small and Medium Enterprises

“…The research on the topic of intellectual capital in the modern sense and conditions is largely limited by the difficulty of its measuring and evaluating [13,14]. At the same time, many scientific studies mainly bind intellectual capital with intangible assets and the implementation of innovative potential [15,16]. However, this concept is very multifaceted, and empirical research needs to be studied for assessing the role of ICs in companies' performance.…”