{"title":"A machine learning analysis of the value-added intellectual coefficient’s effect on firm performance","authors":"Rumeysa Bilgin","doi":"10.1108/jm2-10-2023-0253","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Purpose</h3>\n<p>Recently, machine learning (ML) methods gained popularity in finance and accounting research as alternatives to econometric analysis. Their success in high-dimensional settings is promising as a cure for the shortcomings of econometric analysis. The purpose of this study is to prove further the relationship between intellectual capital (IC) efficiency and firm performance using ML methods.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\n<h3>Design/methodology/approach</h3>\n<p>This study used the double selection, partialing-out and cross-fit partialing-out LASSO estimators to analyze the IC efficiency’s linear and nonlinear effects on firm performance using a sample of 2,581 North American firms from 1999 to 2021. The value-added intellectual capital (VAIC) and its components are used as indicators of IC efficiency. Firm performance is measured by return on equity, return on assets and market-to-book ratio.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\n<h3>Findings</h3>\n<p>The findings revealed significant connections between IC measures and firm performance. First, the VAIC, as an aggregate measure, significantly impacts both firm profitability and value. When the VAIC is decomposed into its breakdowns, it is revealed that structural capital efficiency substantially affects firm value, and capital employed efficiency has the same function for firm profitability. In contrast to the prevalent belief in the area, human capital efficiency’s impact is found to be less important than the others. Nonlinearities are also detected in the relationships.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\n<h3>Originality/value</h3>\n<p>As ML tools are most recently introduced to the IC literature, only a few studies have used them to expand the current knowledge. However, none of these studies investigated the role of IC as a determinant of firm performance. The present study fills this gap in the literature by investigating the effect of IC efficiency on firm performance using supervised ML methods. It also provides a novel approach by comparing the estimation results of three LASSO estimators. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study that has used LASSO in IC research.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->","PeriodicalId":16349,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Modelling in Management","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.8000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Modelling in Management","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1108/jm2-10-2023-0253","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"MANAGEMENT","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Purpose
Recently, machine learning (ML) methods gained popularity in finance and accounting research as alternatives to econometric analysis. Their success in high-dimensional settings is promising as a cure for the shortcomings of econometric analysis. The purpose of this study is to prove further the relationship between intellectual capital (IC) efficiency and firm performance using ML methods.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used the double selection, partialing-out and cross-fit partialing-out LASSO estimators to analyze the IC efficiency’s linear and nonlinear effects on firm performance using a sample of 2,581 North American firms from 1999 to 2021. The value-added intellectual capital (VAIC) and its components are used as indicators of IC efficiency. Firm performance is measured by return on equity, return on assets and market-to-book ratio.
Findings
The findings revealed significant connections between IC measures and firm performance. First, the VAIC, as an aggregate measure, significantly impacts both firm profitability and value. When the VAIC is decomposed into its breakdowns, it is revealed that structural capital efficiency substantially affects firm value, and capital employed efficiency has the same function for firm profitability. In contrast to the prevalent belief in the area, human capital efficiency’s impact is found to be less important than the others. Nonlinearities are also detected in the relationships.
Originality/value
As ML tools are most recently introduced to the IC literature, only a few studies have used them to expand the current knowledge. However, none of these studies investigated the role of IC as a determinant of firm performance. The present study fills this gap in the literature by investigating the effect of IC efficiency on firm performance using supervised ML methods. It also provides a novel approach by comparing the estimation results of three LASSO estimators. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study that has used LASSO in IC research.
期刊介绍:
Journal of Modelling in Management (JM2) provides a forum for academics and researchers with a strong interest in business and management modelling. The journal analyses the conceptual antecedents and theoretical underpinnings leading to research modelling processes which derive useful consequences in terms of management science, business and management implementation and applications. JM2 is focused on the utilization of management data, which is amenable to research modelling processes, and welcomes academic papers that not only encompass the whole research process (from conceptualization to managerial implications) but also make explicit the individual links between ''antecedents and modelling'' (how to tackle certain problems) and ''modelling and consequences'' (how to apply the models and draw appropriate conclusions). The journal is particularly interested in innovative methodological and statistical modelling processes and those models that result in clear and justified managerial decisions. JM2 specifically promotes and supports research writing, that engages in an academically rigorous manner, in areas related to research modelling such as: A priori theorizing conceptual models, Artificial intelligence, machine learning, Association rule mining, clustering, feature selection, Business analytics: Descriptive, Predictive, and Prescriptive Analytics, Causal analytics: structural equation modeling, partial least squares modeling, Computable general equilibrium models, Computer-based models, Data mining, data analytics with big data, Decision support systems and business intelligence, Econometric models, Fuzzy logic modeling, Generalized linear models, Multi-attribute decision-making models, Non-linear models, Optimization, Simulation models, Statistical decision models, Statistical inference making and probabilistic modeling, Text mining, web mining, and visual analytics, Uncertainty-based reasoning models.