Discovering the role of intellectual capital in Latin America: insights from Ecuador

Abstract

This research aims to characterize the intellectual capital in Ecuadorian companies and to validate the applicability of a scale suitable for this context, considering each of its dimensions (human capital, structural capital, and relational capital), as well as innovation aspects of the Ecuadorian companies. The study uses a mixed approach, including factorial analysis and descriptive statistics, using a sample of 88 companies from different economic sectors, located in a single province of Ecuador. The results verified the applicability of the scale and its usefulness for future studies; and they showed that there are different kinds of configurations of intellectual capital, based on the sector and type of innovation usually implemented by companies. In order to be more innovative, construction firms in Ecuador need to focus more on the structural and relational dimensions of intellectual capital, and accommodation and food services industries should orient their efforts toward further developing their human capital. Future studies may explore the opportunities for enhancing innovation performance based on the management of intellectual capital in more detail, using larger sample sizes.