Volume 29 (2019): Edition 2 (June 2019)

The aim of this paper consists in providing a general overview of the notion of intellectual capital as a key to maximizing the corporate performance. Following the researches carried out, we present the delimitations of the intellectual capital in relation with human capital, relational capital and structural capital. In terms of its measurement, we focus on a question which could be a solid base for the next studies: “Can intellectual capital be evaluated?” In this regard, a number of methods (direct and methods based on assets returns), generic model and individual company models were presented, concluding in this way with a hierarchy in terms of utility and their importance.

In the context of an increasing competition among Romanian universities for attracting students, developing a strong brand that appeals to the stakeholders’ needs and desires, while incorporating the institutions values and principles, is a desired course of action. A well-structured relatable brand enables future students to identify themselves with an institution and helps them in taking an important decision that could determine the outcome of their future. The present study analyses the factors that high school students consider when choosing to attend a certain university, through a quantitative research performed among 275 high school students from 33 high school institutions in Bucharest, Romania. Result helped classify the most important markers of a reputable university, which universities should consider when building branding programs. At the same time, universities’ communication strategies should appeal to values that they share with their targeted audiences in order to increase their attractiveness.

This paper gives an overview of foreign direct investment (FDI) in South Africa from 1980 to 2017. It highlights trends in FDI inflows, reforms that have been implemented to date, and challenges that need to be addressed in order to increase the FDI inflows into the country. Government reforms on FDI have been two pronged. Firstly, there are policies that are aimed at creating a strong competitive industry and a strong industrial base for investment. Among such policies are trade liberalisation policies, multilateral and regional integration policies, supportive industrial policies, and bilateral trade agreements. Secondly, there are policies that directly target the FDI investment. These policies include, amongst others, investment incentives, regulatory reforms, exchange control relaxation, and Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) reforms. The findings from this study show that FDI inflows have increased significantly from 1990 although they still remain depressed.

This study investigates the effect of corruption on foreign direct investment inflows in Nigeria, by using some control variables. The study covers a period from 1996 to 2017 and employs Ordinary Least Squares method to perform the multiple regression analysis with the aid of SPSS version 20. The findings indicate that corruption has a significant positive influence on FDI. Though the influence of inflation is significantly negative but exchange rate and Nigeria’s corruption ranking position have insignificant positive impact on FDI. The implication is that the poor legal framework and institutional qualities in Nigeria are helping corruption to thrive in all areas of Nigeria’s economy and might ruin the young generation if nothing is done urgently. The study finds support for helping hand theory of corruption and FDI and also establishes that inflation has a significant negative influence on FDI inflows in the country. Therefore, the study recommends establishment of strong institutional and legal system to curtail the prevailing situation in order to save the future of the country.