Intellectual Capital and Knowledge Management Practices in Health Systems

The most important source of competitive advantage is knowledge. Organizations need to perceive knowledge as an asset and reconsider the role played by labor and management within the current information and knowledge paradigm. Health systems are highly complex and diverse in their missions and visions and address various healthcare related organizations, which are collectively constituted by their intellectual capital. The interaction of three intellectual capital components, resulting from organizational information systems in conjunction with the knowledge held by those involved in care and management, generates knowledge in health organizations. Understanding organizational knowledge processes and how they are applied daily is a critical factor to success. Hence, the practice of knowledge management requires continuous support from leaders, ensuring its value and results are captured in the minds of employees. This study establishes a link between knowledge management, leadership and emotional commitment. Following its development, our model was then applied to nurses in a health organization and demonstrating how the adoption of knowledge management depends on the level of sensitivity shown to the organization's culture and needs.