Intellectual Capital is considered an intangible asset that occurs in many organizations, especially service organizations, mainly because South African banks offer a service to their customers. This results in Intellectual Capital being an important factor in obtaining competitive advantage and success. If organizations do not consider Intellectual Capital as an important factor, it could lead to brands devoted to competitors, the loss of talented employees and unsatisfied customers. This in turn could affect the image of the organization. Financial organizations have the responsibility to identify and to monitor the various components of Intellectual Capital. Intellectual Capital consists of three main components, namely, Human Capital, Structural Capital and Relationship Capital. One of the biggest challenges of Intellectual Capital is that no one hundred percent accurate measurement method exists to measure Intellectual Capital items. An inaccurate value of Intellectual Capital leads to inaccurate disclosure of financial statements which, in turn, could result in various stakeholders (such as shareholders and public) losing faith and confidence in the organization. The purpose of the study is to describe the various components of Intellectual Capital, the linked costs and to examine the measurement of Intellectual Capital, in order to provide accurate disclosure. An empirical study was conducted to assess the impact and importance of Intellectual Capital in a South African bank. Recommendations were made on the manner problems regarding Intellectual Capital are managed and dealt with by the management of the bank. / Thesis (MCom (Management Accountancy))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Intellectual Capital is considered an intangible asset that occurs in many organizations, especially service organizations, mainly because South African banks offer a service to their customers. This results in Intellectual Capital being an important factor in obtaining competitive advantage and success. If organizations do not consider Intellectual Capital as an important factor, it could lead to brands devoted to competitors, the loss of talented employees and unsatisfied customers. This in turn could affect the image of the organization. Financial organizations have the responsibility to identify and to monitor the various components of Intellectual Capital. Intellectual Capital consists of three main components, namely, Human Capital, Structural Capital and Relationship Capital. One of the biggest challenges of Intellectual Capital is that no one hundred percent accurate measurement method exists to measure Intellectual Capital items. An inaccurate value of Intellectual Capital leads to inaccurate disclosure of financial statements which, in turn, could result in various stakeholders (such as shareholders and public) losing faith and confidence in the organization. The purpose of the study is to describe the various components of Intellectual Capital, the linked costs and to examine the measurement of Intellectual Capital, in order to provide accurate disclosure. An empirical study was conducted to assess the impact and importance of Intellectual Capital in a South African bank. Recommendations were made on the manner problems regarding Intellectual Capital are managed and dealt with by the management of the bank. / Thesis (MCom (Management Accountancy))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.