Abstract:
The primary of this paper, therefore, is to provide an international comparative investigation of
the relationship between the level of independence of a firm’s board of directors and its
knowledge and intellectual capital (K&IC) performance. This diverges with the prior literature in
two major ways. First, the prior literature has virtually relied on data from the United States.
Second, prior research has defined firm performance using measures of a firm’s physical capital.
It is widely acknowledged in the literature that K&IC capital is now the pivotal factor of a firm’s
future wealth-creation and not its physical capital. Thus, a firm future performance and
survivability should be measure in terms of its K&IC. A total of 286 firms from three nations,
South Africa, Sweden and the United Kingdom are surveyed in this study. Four proxies for board
independence are examined. These are: (1) level of outside director representation on the board;
(2) percentage of share ownership amongst inside directors; (3) leadership structure; and (4)
extent of cash based remuneration of directors. K&IC performance was measured using the Value
Added Intellectual Coefficient (VAIC™) technique developed by Pulic (1998). Empirical findings
suggest only a marginal association between board independence and IC performance. The most
significant proxy for board independence was the separation of individuals working in the roles of
chief executive officer and chairperson. Further, results suggested the significance of the affect of
board independence on IC performance varied across national boundaries. Overall, the results of
this study are consistent with governance requirements varying across firms, thereby, contrasting
with the notion that uniform board structures should be mandated.