Influence of intellectual capital on organisational performance in one of the Big Four Banks in South Africa

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the critical components of Intellectual Capital (IC), such as customer, human and structural capital; and how to best integrate these elements to maximise optimisation of IC. This research seeks to understand how an organisation can capitalise on IC as a decision-making mechanism; and what strategies an organisation can employ to leverage IC as a value generating attribute towards organisational performance. Furthermore, this study aims to identify how a large part of decision making is derived from an organisation’s internal intellectual capital, and its critical components.

The research is descriptive in nature, as it identifies the critical components. The findings provide an insight into the influence of intellectual capital on a bank’s performance. The research employed a quantitative methodology via the use of a questionnaire. A non-probability purposive sampling strategy based on an individual’s knowledge of intellectual capital activities that take place within the bank was employed to ensure data collected was reflective of the target population identified, more specifically, employees who are permanent at one of the big four banks in Johannesburg, and who are directly affected by influencing factors of intellectual capital. After determining that the questionnaire was reliable and valid as well as the sample size being sufficient, descriptive statistics in the form of frequencies and percentages were used to describe the data and compile the findings.

Based on the results of the questionnaire, it was found that organic growth had the highest impact, and being first to market within new target had the lowest impact with regards to processes that measure and maximise the yield from IC. In addition, it was found that keeping customers informed of changes had the highest commitment, and having budget readily available for IC initiatives had the lowest level of commitment within the organisation. Finally, it was found that being innovative, customer-centric, sustainable and aware of market threats were all key factors that influenced the management and enhancement of intellectual capital within the organisation.

The implications of this research for theory and practice are that; productivity and profitability measures are the most effective processes to maximise the yield from IC within this organisation. On the one hand, the commitment to IC within the organisation is reflected by respondents feeling that the organisation is highly committed to human capital processes involving customer communication, especially when they involve major changes. However, on the other hand, when it comes to investing in human capital processes, it was felt by respondents that budgets were not readily available to pursue any IC initiatives. This level of commitment is enhanced and managed through the perspective of all four key factors identified, with no one single factor identified to be the most important or least important; but all four factors being of equally high importance.