Intellectual Capital and the Role of Technologies in Public Universities: A Case Study Analysis

Intellectual Capital (IC) in universities is an emerging topic of growing importance in academic literature, especially if related to the technology dimension. This paper aims to investigate, through a single case study, how Italian universities deal with IC, particularly with its technological dimension. The case study analysis indicates that technology cannot be considered in isolation but rather in its role supporting the other dimensions of IC. The structural capital, in which technology is prevalent, is transversal to the other dimensions of IC. Therefore, IC not only represents a set of knowledge-based resources it also involves the activities undertaken by an organisation to manage them. Further research is needed to better understand the role of technology as a component of structural capital in enabling performance in universities. An in-depth comprehension of the linkage between IC and performance in universities and their intrinsic meaning is needed for the development of technology policies. Therefore, this paper calls for future research focused on the specific theme of technology policy.