A critical analysis of intellectual capital research in universities

Researching on the intellectual capital in universities is a challenging task due to the complexity of the intellectual processes within any university and the fuzziness of the basic concepts and methodologies developed so far. Universities are among the oldest social institutions and they concentrate high densities of intellectual capital. The concept of intellectual capital has been created as a result of increasing significantly the role of intangibles in economy and of the dramatic split between the book value and market value of the new companies based on intensive knowledge processes. Intellectual capital represents that component of the total capital of any organization which incorporates all intangible resources and their transformations. Intellectual capital is highly nonlinear by comparison with the capital containing tangible resources, which has a linear structure and Newtonian dynamics. The canonical structure of the intellectual capital is composed of human capital, structural capital, and relationship capital. This structural model has been used extensively in evaluating and reporting the intellectual capital of organizations, including universities. However, the Newtonian paradigm constitutes an important limitation in understanding properly both the nature of intellectual capital and how to manage it efficiently. Our research question is focused on how we can change that paradigm with a better one able to represents more adequately the nature and the basic structure of the intellectual capital. The methodology we used is based on in depth literature analysis, metaphorical thinking, critical thinking, and the multifield theory of knowledge. As a result of our research, this paper presents a new approach of the intellectual capital and its application to the universities.