Neuromanagement as a Lever for Enhancing Human Capital and Relational Capital: Toward an Integrative Conceptual Model

Abstract

In a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment, value creation increasingly relies on intangible resources, particularly human capital and relational capital. While their complementarity is widely acknowledged in the intellectual capital literature, the managerial mechanisms that connect them remain underexplored, and no theoretical framework explicitly links neuromanagement practices to the development of relational capital. This article addresses the following research question: How can neuromanagement practices contribute to the development of human capital and, indirectly, to the strengthening of firms’ relational capital? A conceptual narrative literature review covering the period 1998–2026 was conducted using a structured selection protocol based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The analysis leads to the development of a conceptual model built around three propositions. First, neuromanagement practices enhance the development and valorization of human capital. Second, human capital contributes to the development of relational capital. Third, human capital acts as a mediating mechanism linking neuromanagement practices to the firm’s external relationships, while allowing for the possibility of a residual direct effect of these practices. This research therefore offers an integrated perspective on the managerial, human, and relational dimensions of organizational value creation.

Classification JEL : O34, M12, M54.

Paper type : Theoretical research