IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i9p7332-d1135231.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Impact of Intellectual Capital on Service Firm Financial Performance in Emerging Countries: The Case of Vietnam

Author

Listed:
  • Nguyet Thi Nguyen

    (Vietnam Institute for Development Strategies—Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), Hanoi 10000, Vietnam)

Abstract

This paper evaluates the effect of intellectual capital (IC) on firm financial performance in the service sector in an emerging country, Vietnam. This research is dissimilar from earlier ones for the following reasons: (i) this is the first study of IC’s impact on service firms at different knowledge intensity levels, sizes, and ownerships in an emerging country, Vietnam; (ii) it expresses empirical evidence in details of service activities, particularly the research and development, financial, and technology services that play significant roles for the development of emerging countries; (iii) it examines the effects of the gender issue, firms’ responsiveness to the government and employees, and market concentration. Applying the two-step system GMM model for the period 2005–2014, the results express that IC components generally had significant impacts on firm performance. Human capital efficiency had the strongest positive impact while capital employed efficiency had the second strongest impact. The impact of structural capital efficiency was inconsistent, depending on the knowledge intensity levels and the types of service activities. IC is more efficient for knowledge-intensive sub-sectors than the less knowledge-intensive ones. IC efficiencies differ among knowledge intensity levels, sizes, and ownerships, suggesting that policy makers and firm leaders should implement corresponding solutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Nguyet Thi Nguyen, 2023. "The Impact of Intellectual Capital on Service Firm Financial Performance in Emerging Countries: The Case of Vietnam," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-19, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:9:p:7332-:d:1135231
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/9/7332/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/9/7332/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nasif Ozkan & Sinan Cakan & Murad Kayacan, 2017. "Intellectual capital and financial performance: A study of the Turkish Banking Sector," Borsa Istanbul Review, Research and Business Development Department, Borsa Istanbul, vol. 17(3), pages 190-198, September.
    2. Rodriguez Castelan, Carlos & López-Calva, Luis-Felipe & Barriga Cabanillas, Oscar, 2020. "The Effects of Local Market Concentration and International Competition on Firm Productivity: Evidence from Mexico," IZA Discussion Papers 13147, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Arellano, Manuel & Bover, Olympia, 1995. "Another look at the instrumental variable estimation of error-components models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 29-51, July.
    4. Hasan Fauzi & Sami R.M. Musallam, 2015. "Corporate ownership and company performance: a study of Malaysian listed companies," Social Responsibility Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 11(3), pages 439-448, August.
    5. David Roodman, 2009. "How to do xtabond2: An introduction to difference and system GMM in Stata," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 9(1), pages 86-136, March.
    6. Nicholas Asare & Abdul Latif Alhassan & Michael Effah Asamoah & Matthew Ntow-Gyamfi, 2017. "Intellectual capital and profitability in an emerging insurance market," Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 33(1), pages 2-19, May.
    7. Blundell, Richard & Bond, Stephen, 1998. "Initial conditions and moment restrictions in dynamic panel data models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 115-143, August.
    8. S Firer & S M Williams, 2005. "Firm ownership structure and intellectual capital disclosures," South African Journal of Accounting Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(1), pages 1-18, January.
    9. George Saridakis & Kevin Mole & David Storey, 2008. "New small firm survival in England," Empirica, Springer;Austrian Institute for Economic Research;Austrian Economic Association, vol. 35(1), pages 25-39, March.
    10. Birger Wernerfelt, 1984. "A resource‐based view of the firm," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(2), pages 171-180, April.
    11. Janeth N. Isanzu, 2015. "Impact of Intellectual Capital on Financial Performance of Banks in Tanzania," Journal of International Business Research and Marketing, Inovatus Services Ltd., vol. 1(1), pages 16-23, November.
    12. Znar Ahmed & Muhammad Rosni Amir Hussin & Kashan Pirzada, 2022. "The Impact of Intellectual Capital and Ownership Structure on Firm Performance," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-15, November.
    13. Ikujiro Nonaka & Georg von Krogh, 2009. "Perspective---Tacit Knowledge and Knowledge Conversion: Controversy and Advancement in Organizational Knowledge Creation Theory," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 20(3), pages 635-652, June.
    14. A.A. Ousama & A.H. Fatima, 2015. "Intellectual capital and financial performance of Islamic banks," International Journal of Learning and Intellectual Capital, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 12(1), pages 1-15.
    15. David Roodman, 2006. "How to Do xtabond2," North American Stata Users' Group Meetings 2006 8, Stata Users Group.
    16. Nguyen Thi Nguyet, 2016. "Survival of new private enterprises in transition economies: The case of Vietnam," Society and Economy, Akadémiai Kiadó, Hungary, vol. 38(1), pages 47-67, March.
    17. Manuel Arellano & Stephen Bond, 1991. "Some Tests of Specification for Panel Data: Monte Carlo Evidence and an Application to Employment Equations," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 58(2), pages 277-297.
    18. Piermartini, Roberta, 2004. "The role of export taxes in the field of primary commodities," WTO Discussion Papers 4, World Trade Organization (WTO), Economic Research and Statistics Division.
    19. Hasan Fauzi & Sami R.M. Musallam, 2015. "Corporate ownership and company performance: a study of Malaysian listed companies," Social Responsibility Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 11(3), pages 439-448, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cho, Seo-young & Vadlamannati, Krishna Chaitanya, 2010. "Compliance for big brothers: An empirical analysis on the impact of the anti-trafficking protocol," University of Göttingen Working Papers in Economics 118, University of Goettingen, Department of Economics.
    2. Hakkala, Katariina & Heyman, Fredrik & Sjöholm, Fredrik, 2007. "Cross-Border Acquisitions, Multinationals and Wage Elasticities," Working Paper Series 709, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    3. Briglauer, Wolfgang & Dürr, Niklas S. & Gugler, Klaus, 2019. "A retrospective study on the regional benefits and spillover effects of high-speed broadband networks: Evidence from German counties," ZEW Discussion Papers 19-026, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    4. Fabbri, Francesca & Marin, Dalia, 2012. "What explains the rise in CEO pay in Germany? A Panel Data Analysis for 1977-2009," Discussion Paper Series of SFB/TR 15 Governance and the Efficiency of Economic Systems 374, Free University of Berlin, Humboldt University of Berlin, University of Bonn, University of Mannheim, University of Munich.
    5. Zheng, Xinye & Li, Fanghua & Song, Shunfeng & Yu, Yihua, 2013. "Central government's infrastructure investment across Chinese regions: A dynamic spatial panel data approach," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 264-276.
    6. Holger Zemanek & Ansgar Belke & Gunther Schnabl, 2009. "Current Account Imbalances and Structural Adjustment in the Euro Area: How to Rebalance Competitiveness," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 895, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    7. Alexander Klemm & Stefan Parys, 2012. "Empirical evidence on the effects of tax incentives," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 19(3), pages 393-423, June.
    8. Jing Li & Tsun Se Cheong & Jianfa Shen & Dahai Fu, 2019. "Urbanization And Rural–Urban Consumption Disparity: Evidence From China," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 64(04), pages 983-996, September.
    9. Samargandi, Nahla & Fidrmuc, Jan & Ghosh, Sugata, 2015. "Is the Relationship Between Financial Development and Economic Growth Monotonic? Evidence from a Sample of Middle-Income Countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 66-81.
    10. Meschi, Elena & Taymaz, Erol & Vivarelli, Marco, 2011. "Trade, technology and skills: Evidence from Turkish microdata," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(S1), pages 60-70.
    11. Bai-Chen Xie & Jie Gao & Shuang Zhang & ZhongXiang Zhang, 2017. "What Factors Affect the Competiveness of Power Generation Sector in China? An Analysis Based on Game Cross-efficiency," Working Papers 2017.12, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei.
    12. Mahabubur Rahman & M. Ángeles Rodríguez-Serrano & Mary Lambkin, 2019. "Brand equity and firm performance: the complementary role of corporate social responsibility," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 26(6), pages 691-704, November.
    13. Qu, Guangjun & Sylwester, Kevin & Wang, Feng, 2016. "Anticorruption and Growth: Evidence from China," MPRA Paper 72190, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Sergey Lychagin & Joris Pinkse & Margaret E. Slade & John Van Reenen, 2016. "Spillovers in Space: Does Geography Matter?," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 64(2), pages 295-335, June.
    15. Abdilahi Ali & Katsushi S. Imai, 2015. "Editor's choice Crises, Economic Integration and Growth Collapses in African Countries," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 24(4), pages 471-501.
    16. Mohanty, Biswajit & Bhanumurthy, N. R. & Dastidar, Ananya Ghosh, 2017. "What explains Regional Imbalances in Infrastructure?: Evidence from Indian States," Working Papers 17/197, National Institute of Public Finance and Policy.
    17. Matjaž Volk & Polona Trefalt, 2014. "Access to Credit as a Growth Constraint," Journal of Banking and Financial Economics, University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management, vol. 1(1), pages 29-39, May.
    18. Deodat E. Adenutsi & Meshach J. Aziakpono & Matthew K. Ocran, 2011. "The Changing Impact Of Macroeconomic Environment On Remittance Inflows In Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Academic Research in Economics, Spiru Haret University, Faculty of Accounting and Financial Management Constanta, vol. 3(2 (July)), pages 136-167.
    19. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2012. "Trade and Regional Inequality," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 88(2), pages 109-136, April.
    20. Elif Acar & Gamze Vural & Emin Hüseyin Çetenak, 2020. "Evidence for Financial Hierarchy Theory in Capital Structure Decisions: Data from BIST Companies," Bogazici Journal, Review of Social, Economic and Administrative Studies, Bogazici University, Department of Economics, vol. 34(1), pages 29-50.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:9:p:7332-:d:1135231. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.