Intellectual capital-based performance improvement: a study in healthcare sector

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Performance
• Intellectual Capital Studies

Background:

• Knowledge resources are crucial for competitiveness in productive sectors.
• In healthcare, knowledge resources enhance population health, organizational efficiency, and decision-making.
• This study investigates the impact of Intellectual Capital on healthcare organization performance within the Italian system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the influence of Intellectual Capital on healthcare organization performance.
• To evaluate the relationship between Intellectual Capital components and efficiency in the Italian healthcare sector.
• To provide insights for resource allocation policies in healthcare.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a theoretical framework linking Intellectual Capital and performance evaluation.
• Employed a two-stage analysis to determine resource placement and influencing exogenous variables.
• Applied Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to assess IC's impact on performance and linear regression for exogenous variables.

Main Results:

• Empirical findings indicate that specific Intellectual Capital components affect organizational performance (Essential Levels of Assistance).
• Efficiency analysis of 16 Italian regions in 2016 revealed varying abilities to balance IC and performance.
• Healthcare expenditure and resident population correlated with identified efficiency and performance levels.

Conclusions:

• Establishes an innovative connection between healthcare performance, efficiency, and Intellectual Capital.
• Aligns resource management with strategic planning for healthcare organizations.
• Offers a novel decision-making approach for the healthcare sector.