Intellectual capital and performance in temporary teams

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to deepen resource-based view theory by analyzing how intellectual capital (IC) affects performance in temporary teams and by showing the moderating role of integrative mechanisms. Design/methodology/approach The research context focuses on 153 national teams of football (NTF), also referred to as national soccer teams, as an example of temporary groups. A partial least squares (PLS) methodology was utilized on a data set built from transfermarkt.com and FIFA world rankings. Three main hypotheses were developed and tested using first a PLS and then an OLS approach. Findings The results show how IC contributes to performance, extending the findings of previous studies to the context of temporary teams. Additionally, the results show how some integrative mechanisms such as assembly decisions and team leader experience influence temporary team performance by creating an interaction effect with existing IC. Originality/value This study contributes to IC theories for three reasons. First, it applies IC research to a specific research context: temporary teams, where specific organizational capabilities are required to coordinate resources. Second, the study analyzes the role of integrative mechanisms as moderators of the relationship between IC and performance in temporary teams. Third, the study focuses on NTF as an example of temporary teams.

Unpacking the black box

“…Moreover, this study makes its contribution to the IC literature as it is among the first attempts to supplement RBV with an awareness of the importance of resource orchestration perspective. It has been argued that mere possession of knowledge does not warrant an edge in competition (Patil;Kant, 2014;Massaro et al, 2019). Hence, organizations desperately seeks to align their underlying resources with other internal strategic practices and capabilities given the fact that an effective integration of organization's capacities may support company to better organize, synchronize and supporti.e.…”

“…According to the resource-based view of the firm (RBV), competitive advantage stems from an organization's unique assets and heterogeneous resources that are valuable, rare, inimitable, and non-substitutable (Barney, 1991). Although this viewpoint has dominated the IC literature (Bontis, 1998;Roos et al, 2001;Galbreath, 2005;Bontis et al, 2018;Kianto et al, 2017;Massaro et al, 2019), the emerging trend highlights that our understanding of the process through which resources affect performance remains obscure (Miao et al, 2017). Priem and Butler (2001) argue that possessing resources per se is unlikely to bring about competitive advantage and above-market performance.…”

Creating competitive advantage through network ties, entrepreneurial orientation and intellectual capital

“…With increasing competition in the tourism industry, firms must acquire valuable, inimitable, non-substitutable, rare and intangible resources to achieve competitiveness and gain a competitive advantage (Liu, 2018;Liu and Yang, 2020;Massaro et al, 2020). Previous studies have identified entrepreneurial orientation (EO) as a critical intangible resource for firms and a predictor of firm performance that involves taking risks, engaging in innovation and taking proactive action (Seilov, 2015).…”

How do emerging market SMEs utilize resources in the face of environmental uncertainty?

“…Another fruitful area to explore is to consider a firm's intellectual capital in more detail when it comes to resource orchestration of organizational and structural capital, such as patents and various forms of know-how encompassing human and social capital. Recent work by Massaro et al (2015Massaro et al ( , 2019 shows that in different contexts, such as large versus small firms, permanent teams versus temporary teams, firms require diverse resources. Based on their findings, the implication is that it is crucial to consider intellectual capital (human and social) alongside other standard resources in a firm strategy formulation to increase firm performance, which in turn will vary across firm contexts.…”