Managerial intellectual capital on the internationalization of commercial banks in Kenya

Abstract

Managerial intellectual capital is one of the attributes of a global mindset, associated with knowledge, skill level, and creation of an organization competitive advantage. This paper sought to delve into the concept of internationalization of commercial banks by examining the relationship between managerial intellectual capital and internationalization of commercial banks in Kenya. The paper used positivism philosophical approach and adopted cross-sectional descriptive research design. The target population was top and middle level managers in commercial banks in Kenya. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0 to obtain both descriptive and inferential statistics.  In addition, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to establish the influence of managerial global mindset attributes on internationalization of commercial banks in Kenya. The study established that there was a significant and positive relationship between human capital, relational capital and structural capital as attributes of managerial intellectual capital and internationalization of commercial banks in Kenya. Further, the study established that human capital, relational capital, and structural capital have significant influence on the success of internationalization strategy of commercial banks in Kenya. Thus, structural capital, human capital and relational capital, which are the managerial intellectual capital attributes, jointly influence the success of the internationalization of commercial banks in Kenya. It is therefore recommended that when appointing managers, the management of commercial banks should consider factors such as an individual’s knowledge of global industry, global value networks, and global organization.