Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to, the first of its kind, investigate the relationship between the intellectual capital efficiency and organisational performance of the pharmaceutical sector in Bangladesh, an emerging economy that enjoys Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) relaxation. Design/methodology/approach: The study used hand-picked data from annual reports for five years. The relationship between efficient use of intellectual capital and corporate performance was examined through the practical use of human capital, structural capital and capital employed. Multiple regressions were used to assess their impact on financial performance – specifically, return on assets, return on equity, asset turnover and market-to-book value. Findings: Value-added intellectual coefficient components (i.e. human capital, structural capital and capital employed) significantly explained asset turnover and return on assets but failed to predict the return on equity outcome. Additionally, asset turnover was negatively influenced by structural capital and positively influenced by capital employed. The return on assets was mostly affected by variation in human capital. Intellectual capital did not predict market-to-book value or investment decisions. Practical implications: This paper provides useful resources for evaluating the financial performance and value creation of companies in emerging economies that enjoy TRIPS exemptions; this research could also be extended using cross-industry comparisons. The findings have theoretical and practical implications, particularly for the pharmaceutical industry in emerging economy contexts, and for managers globally. Originality/value: This study is among only a few that have reported on the relationship between intellectual capital efficiency and value creation in emerging economy contexts.

This study examined the use and effectiveness of corporate sustainability practices (CSP) and the subsequent effect on a strategic outcome, competitive advantage. The new institutional sociology (NIS) theoretical framework was applied, informed by three different dimensions of institutional pressures (coercive, mimetic and normative). The study used a survey method and developed a seven‐dimensional model utilising the 52 principles provided by the OECD. It used a structural equation modelling in order to test the hypothesised associations between institutional pressures, CSP and competitive advantage to provide an institutional and contextualised perspectives from an emerging economy setting. The study found significant associations between the three types of institutional pressure with specific dimensions of CSP. The findings further revealed that specific CSP dimensions are diversely (positively and negatively) associated with competitive advantage. In line with the tenets of greenwashing, it highlighted the important role of institutional pressures from stakeholders (government, policy and customers) in implementing specific CSP. The findings inform managers, governments, foreign investors and other stakeholders in emerging economies about the influence of the institutional pressure in promoting the use of CSP and the effect of such practices on competitive advantage. From the context of an emerging economy, the study provides a unique empirical insight into the NIS perspective in promoting CSP and the subsequent impact on the strategic outcome, competitive advantage.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of intellectual capital (IC) on financial performance and, in turn, to provide insights into its impact on emerging economies. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from 34 textile firms in Bangladesh between 2013 and 2017. The IC efficiency, through value-added intellectual coefficient (VAIC) model, and its impact on financial performance, through return on assets (ROA), return on equity and asset turnover (ATO), was examined using descriptive statistics and multiple regression techniques. The analysis is based on secondary data obtained from annual reports. Findings: The results indicate the impact of VAIC components on financial performance and also demonstrate diverse relationships with changes in financial indicators. The VAIC components significantly influenced productivity outcomes, with tangible capital playing a major role in both productivity and profitability. Moreover, it was found that structural capital had a considerable effect on ATO and ROA with human capital indicating an insignificant impact on all financial performance indicators. Research limitations/implications: The research outcome is specific to the textile industry in emerging economies. The study may guide future research on IC performance in textile firms and cross-industry comparisons. Practical implications: Managers, firm owners and regulators need to align IC to performance management to sustain the competitive advantage in globalised competitive settings. Originality/value: The study provides an empirical evidence and extends knowledge of IC utilisation for enhancing the financial performance of the textile firms in emerging economies.

Exploring multiple dimensions of management control systems (MCS), this article proposes a new framework to integrate risk management with strategy, MCS and performance measurement systems (PMS). Considering the public sector as a focal point, the article points to some enterprise risk management (ERM) issues and argues that ERM-enabled MCS has potential to improve PMS and strategic decision-making, leading to a more proactive risk management framework and a culture that promotes performance driven accountability. Consequently, the article calls for further research towards solving the public sector’s risk management problems, motivating its managers to adopt best practices, and stimulating suitable policy developments.