The intellectual capital and the relationship with shareholder value creation and sustainability results

Purpose – This study examines how intellectual capital can affect firms’ value creation. The aim is to investigate the effects of the best practices’ adopted in this field on shareholders value and sustainability results, considering the human factor as the part of intellectual capital filled from the rising of the knowledge. For this reason managers should maintain skilled people inside the firm, considering a new respect for people. Is analysed the relationship between people management best practices and shareholder value creation. By the other side, the notion of the production of economic and financial value for shareholders is, though, ever more broadened to also take in the social shared “value”. So, in conclusion and for a broader qualitative and quantitative analysis, is also analysed the relationship with sustainability results. Design/methodology/approach – We propose an approach based on the analysis of the largest companies in Europe according to 2013 rankings. The qualitative and quantitative analysis is based on the comparison of accounting/market based value measures and social/environmental performance indicators, together with the analysis of best practices on human resources management which are possible to underline with the case analysis methodology. Originality/value – This methodology puts in evidence the strong link between people capital strategies and firm value creation and sustainability results. As we aim to prove, companies giving greater attention to the working conditions of their own workforce not only make people working inside more faithful and involved, but also handle a strategic lever able to create value for shareholders. Practical implications – The outcomes of the application could be a suggestion method for managers who want to find new opportunities in managing intangibles inside their organization and recognise their effects on shareholder value and sustainability results.