An analytic hierarchy approach for intellectual capital

Purpose This paper aims to present a methodological framework for the identification of a hierarchy among the three categories of intellectual capital, i.e. human, organizational/structural and relational capital, with respect to their contribution to the objective of improving a library's performance. It also seeks to provide a case study of Greek central public libraries. Design/methodology/approach The framework is based on an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) application including utilization of a Delphi method and ISO 11620 international standards. Finally, empirical evidence is produced for the Greek central public libraries. Findings The proposed framework may be employed for prioritizing intangible assets in libraries. For the Greek central public libraries it has been indicated that human capital contributes more than the organizational/structural capital and this in turn more than the relational capital. Research limitations/implications Although the proposed methodological framework is intended to be widely applicable, the case study results cannot be directly generalized due to the uniqueness of the Greek public libraries environment. Practical implications A hierarchy may be an invaluable tool for the library's management in order to better utilize the intangible resources and effectively allocate investments to human, organizational and relation capital assets in order to improve the library's performance Originality/value The paper shows that the framework for building a hierarchy of intellectual capital in libraries is based on a rather challenging research approach for prioritizing intangible assets with respect to predefined management objectives.