Assessment of the Level of Green Intellectual Capital Development - Polish Enterprises Case Study

Edyta Bombiak

doi:10.35808/ersj/2014

Abstract

Purpose: Green Intellectual Capital (GIC) is more and more frequently considered to be a new environmental strategy of company development. The purpose of the research was to assess the scope of implementation of GIC-centered practices under Polish conditions concerning its three components, i.e., green human resources, green organizational capital, and green relational capital. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study was conducted in 2020 on a random sample of 150 Polish producing enterprises. The method used in the study was CATI. As a first step, the author identified practices that lead to GIC formation. As a second step, she assessed the scope of implementation of the said practices under Polish conditions. The level of implementation of the GIC model was determined with the application of a five-level Likert scale. Findings: The study demonstrated that Polish enterprises do not apply a full degree of practices that lead to GIC fostering. The practices are relatively unknown to Polish companies. It was established that the degree of implementation of the model in Poland is 49.1%, which translates into the 3rd level of maturity in the adopted five-level scale. Practical Implications: The findings of the presented research may stimulate interest in GIC among Polish organizations and extend the scope of application of GIC-oriented practices to support sustainable company development. The management may use the applied research approach to estimate the extent to which they can mobilize the organization’s GIC to implement integrated sustainable development outcomes in their business practices. Originality/Value: This research article is a pioneer attempt to evaluate the degree of implementation of practices oriented at GIC development in Poland. The research enriches the still limited set of literature devoted to GIC. It contributes to subject literature for it detects a gap in the implementation of GIC-forming practices in Polish business circles and develops methodologies for its measurement.

Highlights

Over recent years, there has been a shift in the approach to company resources
- what is the level of maturity in GHC development? - what is the level of maturity in GOC development? - what is the level of maturity in green relational capital (GRC) development?
The purpose of the research studies conducted by the author among 150 producing enterprises was to assess the level of implementation of Green Intellectual Capital (GIC)-forming practices

Summary

Introduction

In the era of the information society, intangible assets have become strategic due to their increasing participation in contemporary enterprises' corporate value. These assets construe a specific type of capital referred to as intellectual capital. The research and publications in the field have been the widening imbalances between the book value and market appraisal of companies listed on global stock exchanges. The issue of intellectual capital is of interest to several researchers. The issue of green intellectual capital development continues to generate little attention (Chang and Hen, 2012; Rezaei et al, 2016, Yusoff et al, 2019). The GIC model deserves special attention for it fits in the canon of sustainable corporate management based on the triple bottom line principle (Elkington, 1997)

Objectives

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion