Investing in Intellectual Capital and Achieving Research Excellence in Algerian Higher Education Institutions : A Field Study at Ferhat Abbas University Setif 1

Abstract

Higher education has witnessed profound transformations in recent decades, compelling universities to strive to improve their academic standing and enhance their capacity to produce knowledge in an increasingly competitive international environment, fraught with pressures related to rankings and academic legitimacy. In this context, intellectual capital has emerged as a suitable analytical framework for interpreting the sources of institutional and research excellence, as it combines human, intellectual, organizational, and relational resources capable of creating sustainable scientific value.

This study aimed to analyze the impact of investment in intellectual capital, with its human, structural, and relational dimensions, on achieving research excellence at Ferhat Abbas University Setif 1. The study employed a descriptive-analytical approach, relying on a questionnaire administered to a stratified random sample of 307 professors from a study population of 1,527. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and simple and multiple regression models were used to analyze the relationships and effects among the study variables. Reliability and validity tests demonstrated acceptable to good levels, supporting the suitability of the measurement instrument.

The results demonstrated positive and statistically significant relationships between investment in intellectual capital and the dimensions of research excellence. Relational capital emerged as the most influential dimension in organizing and developing scientific research, fostering scientific relationships and partnerships, and valuing scientific research, in addition to its strong correlation with research excellence. Furthermore, the multiple regression model showed that the dimensions of intellectual capital collectively explain a high percentage of the variance in research excellence, thus reinforcing the explanatory value of this approach within the context of Algerian universities.