The importance of intellectual capital (IC), as
a prime value driver in today’s knowledge-based
economy, is undisputed. Benchmarking is seen as
a tool for identifying, understanding, and
adopting best practices in order to increase
operational performance. The paper explores
techniques of benchmarking the operational
management of IC. The research is based on a
longitudinal action and case research in an R&D
organization. The failure to benchmark IC
management practices between two seemingly
identical subsidiaries has implications for the
measurement and benchmarking of IC. The research
concludes that it is critical to understand the
context, organizational epistemology and
value-creation pathways before organizations
start any attempt to compare or benchmark IC.
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