The Relationship Between Intellectual Capital and New Venture Performance: An Empirical Investigation of the Moderating Role of the Environment

Many organizations today view intellectual capital (IC) as their most valuable asset. New ventures, in particular, can leverage their IC to attain and sustain a competitive advantage. This study investigates whether IC has a direct impact on venture performance. We also seek to determine if this relationship is moderated by environmental dimensions. Our findings suggest that human capital is the most critical component of IC when predicting operating performance of high-tech ventures, while intellectual property is the crucial component when predicting market-based performance. Our findings also suggest that the relationship between IC and venture performance is influenced by the environment.