Research Article

DO BOARD GOVERNANCE MECHANISMS INFLUENCE THE INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL–PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIP? EVIDENCE FROM AN EMERGING ECONOMY

Volume: 14 Number: 2 December 31, 2025
  • Asia Khatun
  • Raihan Sobhan
  • Shafera Siddique Aapan

DO BOARD GOVERNANCE MECHANISMS INFLUENCE THE INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL–PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIP? EVIDENCE FROM AN EMERGING ECONOMY

Abstract

Purpose- This study examines the influence of intellectual capital (IC) on firm performance and the moderating role of board governance mechanisms in the context of Bangladesh, an emerging economy. Methodology- Using panel data from 100 non-financial firms listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange over 2018–2023, IC efficiency is measured through the Modified Value-Added Intellectual Capital (MVAIC) model, while firm performance is assessed using return on assets and Tobin’s Q. Findings- The findings demonstrate that IC efficiency positively and significantly enhances firm performance, with human capital, structural capital, and capital employed efficiency being key drivers. Moreover, board characteristics, particularly board size, independence, and meeting frequency, significantly strengthen the IC–performance relationship. Earnings per share (EPS) and the price–earnings (P/E) ratio are additionally employed as alternative measures of firm performance to verify the robustness of the observed relationship. Conclusion- The results highlight the importance of effective board governance in maximizing the benefits of IC. For managers and policymakers in emerging economies, strengthening board mechanisms and governance practices can enhance firm performance by ensuring better utilization of intangible assets. This is one of the pioneer studies to investigate the moderating role of board governance mechanisms in the IC–performance nexus within an emerging economy like Bangladesh. By employing the MVAIC model, it offers novel evidence on how board attributes shape the effectiveness of IC in an emerging economy context.

Keywords

References

  1. Adebayo, A. O., Oyewole, O. M., & Lamidi, W. A. (2021). Corporate governance characteristics and intellectual capital of listed non-financial firms in Nigeria. Horn of Africa Journal of Business and Economics (HAJBE), 4(1), 44–55.
  2. Al-Musalli, M. A. K., & Ismail, K. N. I. K. (2012). Intellectual capital performance and board characteristics of GCC banks. Procedia Economics and Finance, 2(Af), 219–226. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2212-5671(12)00082-2
  3. Andriessen, D. (2004). Making sense of intellectual capital: Designing a method for the valuation of intangibles. Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann
  4. Bala, A. J., Hassan, A., & Muhammad, M. L. (2024). Do board characteristics matter in the relationship between intellectual capital efficiency and firm value? Evidence from the Nigerian oil and gas downstream sector. Future Business Journal, 10(1), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-024-00351-3
  5. Barney, J. (1991). Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99–120. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920639101700108
  6. Bharathi Kamath, G. (2019). Board Characteristics and Intellectual Capital Performance: A Comparison of Service vs. Manufacturing Firms in India. Scholedge International Journal of Business Policy & Governance, 6(1), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.19085/sijbpg060101
  7. Demartini, M. C., & Beretta, V. (2020). Intellectual capital and SMEs’ performance: A structured literature review. Journal of Small Business Management, 58(2), 288–332. https://doi.org/10.1080/00472778.2019.1659680
  8. Ebrahim, S. A. H., Ali, B. J. A., & Oudat, M. S. (2021). The effect of board characteristics on intellectual capital in the commercial banks sector listed on the Bahrain bourse: An empirical study. Information Sciences Letters, 10(1), 91–109. https://doi.org/10.18576/isl/10S106

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Finance

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Asia Khatun This is me
0000-0002-6055-0368
Bangladesh

Raihan Sobhan This is me
0000-0003-2015-8035
Bangladesh

Shafera Siddique Aapan This is me
0009-0000-3106-1234
Bangladesh

Publication Date

December 31, 2025

Submission Date

September 5, 2025

Acceptance Date

December 2, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Volume: 14 Number: 2

APA
Khatun, A., Sobhan, R., & Aapan, S. S. (2025). DO BOARD GOVERNANCE MECHANISMS INFLUENCE THE INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL–PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIP? EVIDENCE FROM AN EMERGING ECONOMY. Journal of Business Economics and Finance, 14(2), 177-189. https://doi.org/10.17261/Pressacademia.2025.2026
AMA
1.Khatun A, Sobhan R, Aapan SS. DO BOARD GOVERNANCE MECHANISMS INFLUENCE THE INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL–PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIP? EVIDENCE FROM AN EMERGING ECONOMY. JBEF. 2025;14(2):177-189. doi:10.17261/Pressacademia.2025.2026
Chicago
Khatun, Asia, Raihan Sobhan, and Shafera Siddique Aapan. 2025. “DO BOARD GOVERNANCE MECHANISMS INFLUENCE THE INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL–PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIP? EVIDENCE FROM AN EMERGING ECONOMY”. Journal of Business Economics and Finance 14 (2): 177-89. https://doi.org/10.17261/Pressacademia.2025.2026.
EndNote
Khatun A, Sobhan R, Aapan SS (December 1, 2025) DO BOARD GOVERNANCE MECHANISMS INFLUENCE THE INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL–PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIP? EVIDENCE FROM AN EMERGING ECONOMY. Journal of Business Economics and Finance 14 2 177–189.
IEEE
[1]A. Khatun, R. Sobhan, and S. S. Aapan, “DO BOARD GOVERNANCE MECHANISMS INFLUENCE THE INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL–PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIP? EVIDENCE FROM AN EMERGING ECONOMY”, JBEF, vol. 14, no. 2, pp. 177–189, Dec. 2025, doi: 10.17261/Pressacademia.2025.2026.
ISNAD
Khatun, Asia - Sobhan, Raihan - Aapan, Shafera Siddique. “DO BOARD GOVERNANCE MECHANISMS INFLUENCE THE INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL–PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIP? EVIDENCE FROM AN EMERGING ECONOMY”. Journal of Business Economics and Finance 14/2 (December 1, 2025): 177-189. https://doi.org/10.17261/Pressacademia.2025.2026.
JAMA
1.Khatun A, Sobhan R, Aapan SS. DO BOARD GOVERNANCE MECHANISMS INFLUENCE THE INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL–PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIP? EVIDENCE FROM AN EMERGING ECONOMY. JBEF. 2025;14:177–189.
MLA
Khatun, Asia, et al. “DO BOARD GOVERNANCE MECHANISMS INFLUENCE THE INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL–PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIP? EVIDENCE FROM AN EMERGING ECONOMY”. Journal of Business Economics and Finance, vol. 14, no. 2, Dec. 2025, pp. 177-89, doi:10.17261/Pressacademia.2025.2026.
Vancouver
1.Asia Khatun, Raihan Sobhan, Shafera Siddique Aapan. DO BOARD GOVERNANCE MECHANISMS INFLUENCE THE INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL–PERFORMANCE RELATIONSHIP? EVIDENCE FROM AN EMERGING ECONOMY. JBEF. 2025 Dec. 1;14(2):177-89. doi:10.17261/Pressacademia.2025.2026

Journal of Business, Economics and Finance (JBEF) is a scientific, academic, double blind peer-reviewed, semi-annual and open-access journal. The publication language is English. The journal publishes 2 issues a year. The issuing months are June and December. The journal aims to provide a research source for all practitioners, policy makers and researchers working in the areas of business, economics and finance. The Editor of JBEF invites all manuscripts that that cover theoretical and/or applied researches on topics related to the interest areas of the Journal. JBEF charges no submission or publication fee.



Ethics Policy - JBEF applies the standards of Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). JBEF is committed to the academic community ensuring ethics and quality of manuscripts in publications. Plagiarism is strictly forbidden and the manuscripts found to be plagiarized will not be accepted or if published will be removed from the publication. Authors must certify that their manuscripts are their original work. Plagiarism, duplicate, data fabrication and redundant publications are forbidden. The manuscripts are subject to plagiarism check by iThenticate or similar. All manuscript submissions must provide a similarity report (up to 15% excluding quotes, bibliography, abstract, method).


Open Access - All research articles published in PressAcademia Journals are fully open access; immediately freely available to read, download and share. Articles are published under the terms of a Creative Commons license which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Open access is a property of individual works, not necessarily journals or publishers. Community standards, rather than copyright law, will continue to provide the mechanism for enforcement of proper attribution and responsible use of the published work, as they do now.