Analyzing the Evolution From Intellectual Capital to Green Intellectual Capital: A Literature Review

Abstract

Knowledge plays a fundamental role in the achievement of business success. This has led to the intensification of the study of the set of intangible assets of the organization called intellectual capital (IC) as well as its impact on the achievement of sustainable competitive advantages over time. Moreover, IC that incorporates sustainable aspects (i.e., green intellectual capital [GIC]) was only recently introduced in the academic literature and has since become an emerging field of study. The lack of consistency in the terminologies used has made it difficult to establish clear measurements of intangibles, especially of the dimensions of IC, which have posed an additional difficulty in advancing this area of knowledge. To overcome this research problem, the authors analyze the origins and conceptualization of IC and GIC, trying to shed light on the field of study by answering the following questions: (1) What are the origins of IC? (2) How is IC defined? (3) What are the origins of GIC? (4) How is GIC defined?

Key Terms in this Chapter

Intangible Asset: A business asset that cannot be physically perceived.

Intellectual Capital: A set of human, structural, and relational intangibles owned by the organization.

Human Capital: The body of knowledge that people possess.

Structural Capital: The body of knowledge possessed by the organization.

Relational Capital: Set of knowledge that derives from the network of relationships that the organization possesses.

Green Intellectual Capital: A set of human, structural, and relational intangibles that the organization possesses and whose purpose is the preservation of the environment.