The effect of intellectual capital attributes on organizational performance. The case of the Bologna Opera House

In this study, we propose to model how intellectual capital (IC) attributes affect the performance of organizations operating in the performing arts sector, more specifically opera companies. In particular, the aim of this paper is twofold in that it seeks: (1) to analyze the role IC plays in performing arts organizations; and (2) to propose research hypotheses that suggest how IC affects the performance of these organizations. An in-depth qualitative approach was adopted. The research methodology deployed consists of a longitudinal case study of a major Italian opera house. The main findings of this study are two: (1) the identification of six attributes of IC that are deeply grounded in management theories and that make the definition of the IC construct more theoretically robust with respect to other studies that are less evidence-based; (2) the development of a model that shows how IC attributes affect the three different performance dimensions of performing arts organizations. © 2009 Operational Research Society. All rights reserved.