INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL: ESSENCE AND STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS

The development of modern enterprises is due to the efficient use of intellectual resources, which during the improvement of management and production technologies are transformed into intellectual capital. The concept of “intellectual capital” is relatively new. The first attempts to separate it from intellectual resources were made in the 60s of last century, and the full development of the term “intellectual capital” was only in the 90s. However, it is obvious that with a fairly wide use of this scientific category still in scientific and practical discussions there is no single and generally accepted definition, and in the scientific literature most authors do not attach much importance to the differences between intellectual resources, assets and capital. On the one hand, intellectual capital, according to scientists, is the knowledge, skills and abilities of employees, as well as intangible assets. On the other hand, it is a system of relations between consumers of intellectual property. In this case, considering intellectual capital only as a relationship or as a set of intangible assets and human capital loses the feature that is inherent in intellectual capital, what distinguishes it from other forms of capital and on the basis of which it has the ability to create new value. Thus, the purpose of the study was to systematize the experience gained in studying the essence of intellectual capital and elucidating its component composition. In our opinion, the study of intellectual capital should take into account three main components: human, structural and client capital, which are the result of cognitive activity of staff and management, forming its competitive advantages. Possession of intellectual capital creates in enterprises the ability, taking into account which it can actively explore the opportunities that open up in the external environment, as well as maximize economic and other benefits that are not available to competitors. Thus, intellectual capital is not only a resource, but also a value that allows the company to develop sustainably, while demonstrating balanced economic growth. Thus, the definition of the essence and component composition of intellectual capital creates a methodological basis for the formation of a management system for this resource.