The impact of intellectual capital on the competitive advantage: Applied study in Jordanian telecommunication companies

This research investigates the impact of intellectual capital components on the competitive advantage in the Jordanian telecommunication companies. The empirical findings indicate that the relational capital and the structural capital have positive impact on competitive advantage. Both the relational capital and the structural capital account for 48.4% of the competitive advantage. It is unexpected to find that the human capital does not have a significant direct impact on competitive advantage. However, it is valid to state that the human capital indirectly and significantly influences competitive advantage as it is embedded in the relational capital. The effect of the relational capital on competitive advantage is moderated by gender and age. The effect is strongest among younger men. In the case of the structural capital its effect is moderated by gender only such that the effect is slightly stronger for females rather than males.