Impact of Intellectual Capital on Financial Performance of Banks in Tanzania

Abstract

Since the financial sector reforms took place in the last two decades, Banks in Tanzania have continued to play the major role in reshaping the economy of the nation. With the emergence of knowledge based economy many firm have changed their way of doing business instead of relying more on physical capital they have shifted to intellectual capital. This is no exception for the banks operating in developing counties Tanzania included. Many studies have been done in the area of intellectual capital and its contribution to the value of the firm. This study sets out to extend the evidence by investigating the intellectual capital of banks operating in Tanzania for the period of four years from 2010 to 2013. Annual reports, especially the profit and loss accounts and balance sheets of the selected banks have been used to obtain the data. The study uses Value Added Intellectual Capital model (VAICTM) in determining intellectual capital and its three major components like Human Capital Efficiency (HCE) Structural capital efficiency (SCE) and Capital Employed Efficiency (CEE). The results revealed that Intellectual capital has a positive relationship with financial performance of banks operating in Tanzania and also when the VAICTM was divided into its three components it was discovered that the financial performance is positively related to Human capital efficiency and Capital employed efficiency but is negatively related to Structural capital efficiency.