Managing intangible assets : An essay on organising contemporary organisations based upon identity, competencies and networks

Purpose – To develop a concept of managing intangible assets in contemporary organisations. Insight is given into the rise of the network organisation and the importance of talent, social capital and identity in this kind of organisation. Design/methodology/approach – This paper develops a conceptual framework based on a theoretical analysis of recent literature in the fields of human resource management and organisational identity. Findings – Organisations in contemporary society fundamentally differ from the ones dominating the twentieth century. Work nowadays is providing service(s), organising based upon a mix of people's talents, social capital and information and communication technology (ICT). Modern organisations depend on talent. Talents make the distinctive difference between an organisation and its competitors. Organising with talents requires a second‐order form of networks: (social) cohesion in the network quintessential to make it work. This can be found in the notion of “social capital”. Yet talents and social capital only thrive in an excellent community of work. Organisations as communities of work hold together by a common identity. With the rise of the modern organisation in the information society the community of work has become a fundamental part of organising. Research limitations/implications – First there is a growing inter‐affiliation and interdependency of work processes and the community of work. Second, assumptions regarding the manageability of “organisations” are under pressure. More research is needed in the field of the relationship between organisational processes, commitment and identity. Practical implications – In order to survive and prosper, “modern” organisations acting in the information society need to be flexible configurations bearing a recognisable identity. Originality/value – This paper gives insight in the relationship between core competencies and identity on the one hand and work processes and the community on the other hand. Talents and social capital need to be placed at the heart of the modern organisation. This demands a re‐balance in the relations between the individual and the organisation.