Purpose: The present study investigates the connection between company investments in intellectual capital (IC) and how they translate into financial value. The aim is to test the impact of intangible assets on the firm value and its sustainable growth.Design/methodology/approach: The research employs computation models to determine the sustainable growth rate (SGR) and the firm value (FV), and by using the ordinary least squares (OLS) model through a linear regression assesses the relationship between the dependent variables and expenditures on intangibles like R&D, IT programs and patents. A sample of 42 companies has been selected out of the 78 listed at Bucharest Stock Exchange (BSE), based on the appropriateness of the information disclosed in the financial reports for the period 2016–2019.Findings: The results show that intangibles classified as innovative competences (R&D and Patents) do not have a positive impact on SGR and FV in listed companies from Romania. Moreover, R&D has a negative and significant effect on FV, while IT Programs have a positive and significant impact on FV, but not on the SGR. Variables categorised as economic competencies (Brands, Shares held in associates and jointly controlled entities) and firm structure-specific variables (Leverage, Firm Performance) seem to have a significant effect on SGR and FV. Shares held in associates and jointly controlled entities is the variable that can have the biggest impact when it comes to FV for companies listed at BSE.Research limitations/implications: Due to non-disclosure of specific information by some companies, or lack of investments in intangibles the sample had to be reduced and does not cover all listed companies.Practical implications: Companies listed on the Regulated Market from the Bucharest Stock Exchange should maintain their scale of liabilities at a reasonable level when financing intangible assets in order to ensure corporate long-term and sustainable development. Also, these companies should maintain awareness about the importance of intangible assets and invest more in specific sub-components, in order to sustain competitive advantage. Recognizing the roles of intangibles, managers need to develop strategies to invest in profitable intangibles by reasonably allocating their limited resources, in order to achieve sustainable growth and increase company success.Originality/value: Studies concerning the relation between investments in intangibles and sustainable growth rate and firm value of listed Romanian companies are very scarce. This paper reveals new research, never before undertaken, concerning expenditures on intangibles by Romanian companies and the valuation of such investments on Bucharest Stock Exchange.

The present paper sets out to investigate the relationships among several key constructs that cover the work patterns and processes in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Emphasis is laid on the leader-team communication, the fostering of a strong team culture, team performance and satisfaction with teamwork in the case of virtual teams. The scrutiny is intended to complement recent developments in the field which compared traditional and virtual teams at different levels by adding knowledge to virtual teams’ communication and interaction patterns and processes. In this vein, an online survey was conducted with 175 members from different virtual teams. The findings showed the advancement of a pertinent conceptual model, mostly displaying significant relationships among constructs. Four out of the five formulated hypotheses were validated, the highest influences being reported between leader-team communication and team culture, respectively, and between team performance and satisfaction with teamwork. Furthermore, the structural model explained over 50% of the variance in the satisfaction with teamwork, thus supporting the relevance of the inferred relationships.

This study aims to fill a gap in the sparse literature that empirically investigates the relationships between intellectual capital (IC), technology management, and innovative performance in knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS). Semi-structured interviews with middle and senior managers from KIBS have been conducted with the purpose of exploring the various strategies, policies, and practices in managing the organisational intellectual capital and technology to enhance innovation performance. Several themes related to the development of intellectual capital in KIBS have been analysed (i.e., key dimensions of human, structural, and relational capital). The findings show that all KIBS investigated place importance on either recruiting the most qualified staff or building up their competencies and skills. Moreover, KIBS allot sizable resources for creating an organisational culture that encourages employee empowerment and knowledge sharing. Technology-forward KIBS have strategies for developing dynamic technological capabilities for knowledge management, business process flexibility and efficiency, and sustaining innovation. The unfolded investigation has both theoretical and managerial implications, pointing to the noteworthiness of sustainable and strategic approaches of intellectual capital management on purpose to support innovation.

The current study investigates the influence of variety among online providers and customers' access to knowledge on consumer networks, consumer engagement, and sustainable purchasing. Emphasis is on the underlying relationships among these constructs in the digital economy, which has evolved into a complex structure of multifarious nodes and linkages unfolding in the online environment. The underlying theoretical approaches are knowledge‐attitude‐behavior (KAB) and customer sovereignty. Against this backdrop, a questionnaire‐based survey was given to 200 Millennials (i.e., generation Y) and gen Z Italians—approached as empowered stakeholders requiring accurate information and sustainable solutions from online providers—in January 2023. The data was processed via the structural equation modeling technique PLS‐SEM, based on SmartPLS 4. The findings indicated that sustainable purchasing is influenced to some extent by access to knowledge, consumer engagement, and consumer networks. The study endeavors to fill a research gap, as the relationships between variety among online providers and sustainable purchasing, as well as consumer engagement from the empowerment perspective are underexplored. The study provides new evidence of the relationships between consumer networks, consumers' access to knowledge, sustainable purchasing, and consumer engagement in the framework of online retail by inquiring respondents.

Purpose: Many authors have recognised multiple research gaps at empirical and theoretical levels regarding the interplay between the management of intellectual capital (IC) and the development of innovation capabilities from a strategic approach to technological opportunities, especially in knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS). This paper endeavours to provide answers to some of these research questions by relying on empirical observations in the context of an emergent economy.Design/methodology/approach: After reviewing the literature through the lenses of the IC and knowledge-based view, the paper operationalises IC as a formative construct and explores its relationships with Technological Orientation, Innovativeness and Innovative Performance. This investigation employs structural equation modelling to analyse data collected through a questionnaire from a sample of KIBS members in a cross-sectional study.Findings: The research confirms the positive influence of human capital on a company’s Technological Orientation, which in turn impacts Innovative Performance in KIBS. Structural and relational capital positively affect Innovativeness and the latter directly impact performance. All other IC components were found to determine the dependent variables through a mediated effect.Research limitations/implications: This research has several limitations. Firstly, it has to be stressed that the significance of the statistical findings is dependent on the sample size, and the results’ explanatory power and effect size cannot be extrapolated to other demographics in different regions or sectors. Secondly, it should be observed that the results of the empirical research can be affected by the respondents’ subjectivity in assessing the items and their perception of reality when providing the answers. Thirdly, this is a cross-sectional study, and results concerning, e.g. the Innovative Performance may be subject to change over a longer period of time, though items in this construct have inquired about results obtained over time. Finally, given the purpose of the research, the outcome may be limited to the research model design. Future research could attempt to replicate the results by investigating other demographics and other regions and by employing a longitudinal study.Practical implications: The study highlights the value added by adequate management of all IC elements, as they affect the output of organisational business strategies and processes in an integrated manner. An organisational technological strategy that is based on up-to-date technologies, the embeddedness of technology in the organisational processes and the staff’s continuous technical/digital upskilling are conducive to competitive advantage and business success in KIBS. High competencies and skills that are continuously renewed through training as well as the acquisition of digital competencies, play an influential role in generating innovative capabilities that lead to business performance. Flexible and efficient business processes, the company’s support for informal knowledge sharing between employees and its ability to exploit new knowledge to sustain growth are prerequisites for KIBS’ success. Promoting an organisational culture of trust and collaboration, making the staff feel valued and satisfied and effectively using digital technologies for communication are all significant factors in supporting the development of innovation capabilities.Social implications: This research proves that IC management, viewed as an integrated construct comprising human, structural and relational capital management, significantly affects Innovativeness through the development of technology-based innovative capabilities. Furthermore, in a context where KIBS (and other companies) nowadays compete in a digital environment, technology and technical knowledge are paramount for a company’s success. The study validates in an aggregated model the role played in innovation by the management of knowledge and technical knowledge embodied in the employees’ competencies and know-how, the management of tacit and explicit knowledge developed by the structural capital and the management of stakeholder knowledge accumulated by the relational capital.Originality/value: This research takes a fresh and comprehensive perspective to investigate how IC management can impact Innovativeness and Innovative Performance in KIBS by focusing on the nexus with the organisations’ Technological Orientation. The paper makes an original contribution to research concerning IC, KIBS, technology and innovation based on empirical evidence and a new approach to assessing IC as an aggregate rather than by looking at individual components.

KIBS are increasingly important organizations for ensuring sustainable development. Their core asset is knowledge, manifested in many ways and managed in a complex manner, sometimes jointly with clients. Like other organizations, KIBS companies have been greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, they could provide support to their customers to better cope with the challenges associated with the pandemic. Therefore, the present paper investigates how Romanian KIBS coped with the pandemic by developing 16 interviews with key persons from four different organizations, covering a range of specializations (technical, professional, and creative). The purpose of the present study is to identify the challenges for knowledge management caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and how the pandemic influenced knowledge management performance within Romanian KIBS. The investigation reveals that the pandemic was an opportunity for organizational development and adopting more formal knowledge management practices, as well as for developing the digital profile of companies.