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Home > QFINANCE Dictionary > Definition of intellectual capital

Definition of

intellectual capital

Finance

firm's combined intangible assets the combined intangible assets owned or controlled by a company or organization that provide competitive advantage. Intellectual capital assets can include the knowledge and expertise of employees, brands, customer information and relationships, contracts, intellectual property such as patents and copyright, and organizational technologies, processes, and methods. Intellectual capital can be implicit and intangible, stored in people's heads, or explicit and documented in written or electronic format.

Recommended Further Reading (Term count)
  • The Human Value of the Enterprise
    by Andrew Mayo
    Our people are our most important asset. This frequent statement from chief executives is often received with justifiable cynicism. The problem is that people within an organization do not always experience decisions and policies in their everyday work life that support such a belief. The accountant who once described people to me (admittedly with a smile) as “costs walking about on legs” is often closer to the reality of organizational...
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  • Intellectual Capital: The New Wealth of Organizations
    Thomas A. Stewart (1997)
    The definitive guide to understanding and managing intangible assets, from the pioneer of knowledge management. Shows how theories on knowledge management are valuable to any organization that wants to improve the return on its intellectual capital. Argues that knowledge working will change the pattern of careers in the 21st century.  
  • Intellectual Capital
    by Thomas A. Stewart
    Intellectual capital is just that: a capital asset consisting of intellectual material. To be considered intellectual capital, knowledge must be an asset able to be used to create wealth. Thus, intellectual capital includes the talents and skills of individuals and groups; technological and social networks and the software and culture that connect them; and intellectual property such as patents, copyrights, methods, procedures, archives, etc. It...

Definitions of ’intellectual capital’ and meaning of ’intellectual capital’ are from the book publication, QFINANCE – The Ultimate Resource, © 2009 Bloomsbury Information Ltd. Find definitions for ’intellectual capital’ and other financial terms with our online QFINANCE Financial Dictionary.

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