The Strategic Impact of Measuring and Reporting Intangible Assets in Entrepreneurial Universities

Purpose – Universities and research centres play a crucial role in the development and diffusion of scientific knowledge and innovation, which are at the core of their strategic mission. However, the measurement of performance of such institutions in terms of valuable assets created is not easy since their output/results are especially complex to define and evaluate. In such context, this article aims to discuss the importance of identifying proper measures of Intellectual Capital (IC) generation in universities, and particularly in modern universities showing entrepreneurial features. A model for analysis and measurement is presented along with an illustrative application. Design/methodology/approach - Major theoretical approaches and real experiences of measurement of IC in higher education and research settings are analysed to build the integrated framework. Six strategic areas are derived and used to define a dashboard of 62 indicators. A case study approach is used to pilot-apply the dashboard to an education and research institution. Originality/value – Although several methods for IC measurement and management exist, most fail to capture the peculiar links existing among strategic objectives, intangible assets and organizational performance. This article tries to contribute by presenting a discussion and a model which point to establishing a direct relation between the strategic mission of entrepreneurial universities and their performance in terms of IC created. Practical implications – The model proposed can be used as a stakeholder communication tool to report key performance related to human, social and structural capital. Internal functions can be served such as resource identification and capital budgeting whereas an external value stays in the possibility of making public a set of organization-specific information, facilitating evaluation and benchmarking.