Intellectual Capital and Firm Performance in Australia

This study examines the effect intellectual capital (IC) has on firm performance using a sample of Australian companies listed between 2004 and 2008. IC is measured using Pulic’s Value Added Intellectual Coefficient (VAIC) and its components and both a direct and a moderating relationship between VAIC and performance are analysed. The results suggest that there is a direct relationship between IC and performance of Australian publicly listed firms, particularly with capital employed efficiency and to a lesser extent with human capital efficiency. A positive relationship between IC (human and structural capital) in the prior year and performance in the current year is also found. Evidence also suggests the possibility of a moderating relationship between IC and physical and financial capital which impacts on firm performanceUnpublishedAbeysekera, I. (2007). Intellectual Capital Reporting between a Developing and Developed Nation. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 8(2), 329-345. 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