Intellectual capital in social enterprises

The present paper aims at identifying certain managerial patterns which can be observed in many social enterprises and which might indirectly foster the creation and development of organizational intellectual capital. The analysis relies on the results of both a quantitative and a qualitative study. Within the quantitative research - in form of a questionnaire based survey – we analyze the relationship between "management system" and intellectual capital. The data collected from this survey is analyzed using the statistical software SPSS. In a first phase, we elaborated the theoretical model underpinning the empirical research. Based on bibliographic research we have identified seven dimensions of the management system which may exert a significant influence on the generation and development of intellectual capital. Thus, a model which aims at establishing a relationship between the management’s dimensions and the three components of intellectual capital emerged. This model is useful for academia and researchers as well as for practitioners whose aim is to foster the development of intellectual capital using managerial tools. In the next part of the paper, based on the results of the quantitative research which establish a link between management dimensions and intellectual capital development, we analyzed the characteristics of the above management dimensions on the specific case of a successful social enterprise from the field of urban gardening which can be considered a best practice example.