The Effect of Peer Firms’ Organizational Capital on a Company’s Organizational Capital: The Moderating Role of Industry Competition

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Prof. of Accounting, Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Economics, University of Isfahan, Iran

2 M.A Student of Accounting, Faculty of Administrative Sciences and Economics, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

Organizational capital, as a key intangible asset, plays a fundamental role in creating competitive advantage and enhancing firm performance. Drawing on social learning theory and institutional imitation theory, firms tend to model their behavior on that of industry peers under conditions of competition and uncertainty. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of peer organizational capital on a firm’s organizational capital, as well as the moderating role of industry competition. The sample consists of 155 firms listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange over the period 2012–2023. To test the hypotheses, panel data regression with year fixed effects is employed. The results for the first hypothesis indicate that peer organizational capital has a positive and significant effect on firms’ organizational capital. This finding suggests that, under uncertainty, managers imitate the successful practices of competitors to reduce risk and gain legitimacy. The findings for the second hypothesis reveal that industry competition strengthens the peer effect of organizational capital; specifically, firms operating in more competitive industries exhibit stronger responses to their peers’ organizational capital. Robustness tests further confirm the stability of the results. Overall, investment in organizational capital is not solely an internal firm decision but is also shaped by peer behavior and the intensity of industry competition.

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Journal of Asset Management and Financing

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 05 April 2026

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