How to Conduct the Audit of Intellectual Capital in Polish Tourism Business?

Intellectual capital (IC) - defined by the values such as knowledge, skills, experience, organisational, social and cultural relations etc. - is one of the most important assets of tourism business and can be perceived as the factor having the greatest influence on the company's value. Due to the leading role of intangible assets in tourism sector, it is important to specify the IC structure and diagnose IC assets for tourism industry. The results of the diagnosis should be taken into consideration in IC management and in the decision-making process within the organisation. The diagnosis of the IC condition is an issue which has not been the subject of any detailed research in Polish environment. The lack of specific tools as well as the real need for resolving the title problem has been the inspiration for a deeper investigation. The goal of the undertaken research is to create an algorithm of IC audit for tourism companies and necessary, utilitarian tools. The main objective shall be achieved by performing the research tasks presented in the paper, among which the most important are: 1. Review of the theory and different IC valuating and measuring methods (literature of the subject). 2. Executing the initial research among experts, executives and employees of tourism market, using an Individual in-Depth Interview (IDI) and participant observation methods. 3. Preparation of an IC audit's algorithm. 4. Programming a software of IC audit implementation. 5. Application of the IC audit prototype to an experimental group with the aim of eliminating any methodological and technical faults. 6. Implementation of the IC audit in chosen Polish tourism companies. 7. Presentation of the results (reporting). The initial research has clearly indicated, that the knowledge resulting from an IC audit is useful and necessary for executives. Reporting of IC audit lets managers identify and highlight the missing or neglected elements of IC structure and recommends certain activities in management procedures, designed to enhance business performance. This paper presents the results of the research done so far, but the main goal is to implement the IC audit tool in Polish tourism companies and prove its efficiency.