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Investment in Intangible Capital: An Enterprise Perspective

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  • ELIZABETH WEBSTER
  • PAUL H. JENSEN

Abstract

As the amount of tangible matter in the world is fixed, the growth and deployment of intangible capital in the production process must be the sole source of productivity growth and thus our ability to enhance the (material) quality of life. This survey paper takes stock of our knowledge about enterprise investment in intangible capital, most particularly, with respect to the current debate over its measurement, the types of market failure associated with its production and use, the mechanisms used to appropriate the returns it generates and the ways in which it is diffused throughout the economy. We argue that the most fruitful policy is to eliminate ‘known’ deadweight losses that have only small side‐effects on the incentive to create.

Suggested Citation

  • Elizabeth Webster & Paul H. Jensen, 2006. "Investment in Intangible Capital: An Enterprise Perspective," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 82(256), pages 82-96, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ecorec:v:82:y:2006:i:256:p:82-96
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-4932.2006.00296.x
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    2. Szalavetz, Andrea, 2012. "Az immateriális beruházások és a nem közvetlenül a termelésben foglalkoztatottak szerepe a gazdasági felzárkózásban [The role intangible investments and non-production workers play in economic catc," Közgazdasági Szemle (Economic Review - monthly of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences), Közgazdasági Szemle Alapítvány (Economic Review Foundation), vol. 0(11), pages 1187-1206.
    3. Tronconi, Claudia & Vittucci Marzetti, Giuseppe, 2011. "Organization capital and firm performance. Empirical evidence for European firms," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 112(2), pages 141-143, August.
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    5. Emanuela Marrocu & Raffaele Paci & Marco Pontis, 2012. "Intangible capital and firms' productivity," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 21(2), pages 377-402, April.
    6. Amani, Elnasri & Fox, Kevin J., 2015. "R&D, Innovation and Productivity: The Role of Public Support," KDI Journal of Economic Policy, Korea Development Institute (KDI), vol. 37(1), pages 73-96.
    7. Anna Pietruszka-Ortyl & Małgorzata Ćwiek, 2021. "Social Facilitators of Specialist Knowledge Dispersion in the Digital Era," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-25, May.
    8. Egle Kazlauskiene & Ilona Bartusevichiene & Vilma Tamuliene, 2017. "The potential / opportunities for leveraging competences: the intangible assets Dimension," Montenegrin Journal of Economics, Economic Laboratory for Transition Research (ELIT), vol. 13(1), pages 51-62.
    9. Richard Harris & Qian Cher Li, 2007. "Learning-by-Exporting? Firm-Level Evidence for UK Manufacturing and Services Sectors," Working Papers 2007_22, Business School - Economics, University of Glasgow.
    10. Segol, Matthieu & Kolev, Atanas & Maurin, Laurent, 2021. "The impact of bank loan terms on intangible investment in Europe," EIB Working Papers 2021/05, European Investment Bank (EIB).
    11. Thum-Thysen, Anna & Voigt, Peter & Bilbao-Osorio, Beñat & Maier, Christoph & Ognyanova, Diana, 2019. "Investment dynamics in Europe: Distinct drivers and barriers for investing in intangible versus tangible assets?," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 77-88.
    12. Alfons Palangkaraya, 2010. "Patent Application Databases," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 43(1), pages 77-87, March.
    13. Paul H. Jensen & Elizabeth Webster, 2006. "Managing Knowledge Flows through Appropriation and Learning Strategies," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2006n06, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
    14. Emanuela Marrocu & Raffaele Paci & Marco Pontis, 2011. "Intangible capital and firms productivity (refereed paper)," ERSA conference papers ersa10p496, European Regional Science Association.
    15. Bansha Dulal, H. & Foa, R., 2011. "Social Institutions as a Form of Intangible Capital," ISD Working Paper Series 2011-01, International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam (ISS), The Hague.
    16. Angelos A. Antzoulatos & Dimitris Karanastasis & Thomas Syrmos, 2022. "The Puzzling Convergence of Intangible Investments," International Advances in Economic Research, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 28(3), pages 171-182, November.
    17. Roberto Crotti, 2021. "Does Intangible Asset Intensity Increase Profit-Shifting Opportunities of Multinationals?," IHEID Working Papers 02-2021, Economics Section, The Graduate Institute of International Studies.
    18. Alev Yildirim & Linda Allen, 2021. "Measuring systematic risk from managerial organization capital," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(9-10), pages 2049-2072, October.

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