Green intellectual capital: The secret ingredient for organizational competitive advantage in the nursing profession—a cross-sectional study from Egypt

Background: In the contemporary healthcare environment, managing human resources
expertise is just as imperative as having the supreme amount of working capital. Every
business must constantly build its capacity, expertise, and competitive edge by utilizing its
intellectual property and experience.
Objective: This study aimed to assess the relationship between green intellectual capital and
organizational competitive advantage among nurses.
Methods: The study employed a descriptive correlational design among 350 nurses selected
using convenience sampling. Data were collected from March 2023 to June 2023 using the
Organizational Competitive Advantage Scale and the Green Intellectual Capital
Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation.
Results: Most nurses had a moderate level of green intellectual capital (Mean = 3.60, SD =
0.27). The overall mean score for organizational competitive advantage was moderate (Mean
= 3.34, SD = 0.34). The overall score of the green intellectual capital (r = 0.257, p <0.001) and
its dimensions⎯green human capital (r = 0.257, p <0.05), green structure capital (r = 0.257, p
<0.001), and green relational capital (r = 0.257, p <0.001)⎯had significant positive correlations
with organizational competitive advantage.
Conclusion: Being eco-friendly has become a determining factor in the organizational
competitive advantage. The study highlights the significance of nursing management in
establishing partnerships with external entities to share knowledge and advance sustainable
healthcare methods. It advocates for assessing organizational environmental performance
and its influence on competitive edge through creating metrics, monitoring progress, and
utilizing data for decision-making. Healthcare and nurse administrators are advised to set
performance benchmarks, track advancements, and integrate eco-friendly strategies to bolster
the hospital’s competitiveness in the market