<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><sec><h3>Objective</h3><p>This study is an attempt to identify crucial assets of intellectual capital (IC) of transnational corporations (TNCs). The author identifies key assets each of the IC layers: organizational, innovative, and institutional. Examining these complex constructions of IC and its comprehensive influence on achieving competitive advantage is justified as the topic has been investigated rarely till now.</p></sec><sec><h3>Methods</h3><p>The paper presents literature review and the results of an authorial survey (252 corporations). The author used the following methodology concepts: the Grounded Theory Method, the Social Network Analysis, and the Multidimensional Statistical Analysis.</p></sec><sec><h3>Findings</h3><p>The results of the conducted analysis do sustain the postulated hypothesis that the main pillars constituting the intellectual capital of the most powerful transnational corporations (leaders) are the same in terms of the core irrespective of the type of industry. Based on the conducted research, the author points to the three key requirements for each of three IC layers (organizational, innovative, and institutional).</p></sec><sec><h3>Practical implication</h3><p>The proposed model of layers of intellectual capital may be used to identify the relationship in question, or its lack of relationship, in other types of international business. Furthermore, the study results provide guidelines for executives of corporations with respect to intellectual capital management.</p></sec><sec><h3>Originality/value</h3><p>It is a new, original proposal for measurement and presentation of the relationship between international competitiveness of transnational corporations and their intellectual capital efficiency (pillars of IC-layers).</p></sec></abstract>

ObjectiveThis study is an attempt to identify crucial assets of intellectual capital (IC) of transnational corporations (TNCs). The author identifies key assets each of the IC layers: organizational, innovative, and institutional. Examining these complex constructions of IC and its comprehensive influence on achieving competitive advantage is justified as the topic has been investigated rarely till now.MethodsThe paper presents literature review and the results of an authorial survey (252 corporations). The author used the following methodology concepts: the Grounded Theory Method, the Social Network Analysis, and the Multidimensional Statistical Analysis.FindingsThe results of the conducted analysis do sustain the postulated hypothesis that the main pillars constituting the intellectual capital of the most powerful transnational corporations (leaders) are the same in terms of the core irrespective of the type of industry. Based on the conducted research, the author points to the three key requirements for each of three IC layers (organizational, innovative, and institutional).Practical implicationThe proposed model of layers of intellectual capital may be used to identify the relationship in question, or its lack of relationship, in other types of international business. Furthermore, the study results provide guidelines for executives of corporations with respect to intellectual capital management.Originality/valueIt is a new, original proposal for measurement and presentation of the relationship between international competitiveness of transnational corporations and their intellectual capital efficiency (pillars of IC-layers).

The significance of intellectual capital in strategies of transnational corporations

Department of International Business and Trade

International Journal of Management and Economics

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

ObjectiveThis study is an attempt to identify crucial assets of intellectual capital (IC) of transnational corporations (TNCs). The author identifies key...

TNCs by sectors	Sector	Automotive	Electronics	Petroleum	Pharmaceutical	Media & Telecommunications	Consumer goods&services	Industry goods&services	Public goods&services	Multi-branch	9 industry sectors
	The most powerful transnational corporations (leaders of sectors)	Toyota Motor Volkswagen Group; Honda Motor	General Electric; Siemens; Samsung Electronics	Royal Dutch Shell; British Petroleum; Exxon Mobil	Sanofi; Roche Group; Pfizer	Vodafone Group; Telefónica; France Telecom	Procter&Gamble; Nestle; Kraft	Arcelor Mittal; Rio Tinto; Lafarge	Electricite de France; E.On; GDF	Vivendi Universal; Hutchison Whampoa; Marubeni Corporation	Value of the average Leaders of different sectors (27 Top-TNCs

Layers of intellectual capital (IC)	INNC	Cumulative rating for three industry leaders

	R&D systems	3	3	2	3	3	2	2	1	1	2.22
	Models of created value	3	3	2	3	2	3	2	1	2	2.33
	Management innovations	2	2	1	3	3	3	2	2	1	2.11

	ORGC	Cumulative rating for three industry leaders

	Brand strategy	3	2	2	2	3	3	1	0	0	1.78
	Business network	3	2	3	1	3	2	1	3	1	2.11
	Typ es of connections	3	3	3	2	3	3	2	3	2	2.67

	INSC	Cumulative rating for three industry leaders

	Institutional relations	2	2	2	2	3	2	2	3	1	2.11
	Coopetition	3	3	2	2	1	3	2	1	0	1.89
	Stakeholders	3	2	1	3	3	3	1	3	1	2.22

The significance of intellectual capital in strategies of transnational corporations

Article Category: Conceptual Paper

Data publikacji: 06 lis 2020

Zakres stron: 291 - 306

Otrzymano: 08 maj 2020

Przyjęty: 22 wrz 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ijme-2020-0025

Słowa kluczowe
corporation, intellectual capital, competitiveness, knowledge management

© 2020 Magdalena Rosińska-Bukowska, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Figure 1

Figure 2

The significance of the key factors of IC (included in the given corporations’ development strategies)

The significance of intellectual capital in strategies of transnational corporations

Article Category: Conceptual Paper

Data publikacji: 06 lis 2020

Zakres stron: 291 - 306

Otrzymano: 08 maj 2020

Przyjęty: 22 wrz 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ijme-2020-0025

Słowa kluczowecorporation, intellectual capital, competitiveness, knowledge management

© 2020 Magdalena Rosińska-Bukowska, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Figure 1

Figure 2

The significance of the key factors of IC (included in the given corporations’ development strategies)

Słowa kluczowe
corporation, intellectual capital, competitiveness, knowledge management