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Original Component Essay The goal was to determine a credible and accurate method for measuring human capital. Knowledge capital is a concept that has not received much attention in terms of research. One of the unique aspects of this study was the fact that the data collected were from the information technology field, particularly from those who deal with knowledge management. This was in contrast to previous studies where finance, accounting, and/or human resources professionals were the respondents. The findings indicated that the methods currently used to value human knowledge were borrowed from either human resources or from finance. This also indicated that knowledge management was not embraced as a part of its strategy. Since the responses were received from knowledgeable experts, the results represented a true picture of the problem. Another reason for its uniqueness was due to the fact that the study was conducted in two separate phases with their corresponding findings compared. It was also important to note that the companies selected represented all of the industries. The combination of all these attributes thus, made the method unique. According to previous studies, much research has been devoted to knowledge management. In addition, books, journals, and articles have all been written about the said topic. However, none has focused on knowledge capital valuation and its related impacts. Individuals and organizations became reluctant to pursue this type of valuation. This was due to the fact that many felt that it was impossible to accurately measure knowledge capital. For this research, all of the respondents agreed that the methods to measure knowledge capital do not fully represent its true value because they were only based on assumptions. On the other hand, companies, researchers, and scholars struggled with the question of how to value knowledge capital because it increasingly gained importance. In this case, the study has formed a base for other researchers to build on. This study has also provided a way of perceiving knowledge capital and proposed an easier way of calculating its value. The study clarified the possibility of measuring knowledge capital. However, organizations can only measure the value of knowledge by identifying the knowledge gaps within its current employees. In this context, knowledge management must be incorporated at the highest levels of the organization. 6. 4 Contributions Knowledge capital has become one of the most important assets in any organization, including corporations, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. However, without knowing its value, organizations cannot determine whether they are fully utilizing it or not. Most Internet businesses have no physical assets, while some rely solely on outsourcing. Therefore, there is a need to determine the value of human capital to ascertain the value of an organization. Moreover, many Internet businesses were publicly traded, and were obliged to represent the true and accurate value of their company to investors . During mergers and acquisition transactions, companies experience the problem of determining the value of knowledge or human capital. In turn, they use the term â€Å"goodwill. † However, goodwill is actually an invented concept. If companies can determine the value of their knowledge capital, there is no need to use the vague concept of goodwill. Knowing the value of knowledge capital helps a company hire the right people, assign the proper people to particular jobs, and provide employees with the appropriate tools and environment. Without knowing the value of what is needed, how can they measure knowledge capital or increase its value? This research aimed to contribute information to both the knowledge field and to profit-making organizations. The purpose of this research was to examine how organizations determine the value of their human capital, while gaining a sustainable competitive advantage. The research effort will be applied by and for profit organizations to determine their true value, maximizing the value of human capital to increase the shareholders’ wealth. Individuals will understand the value of their human capital and be able to start managing it for maximum return to themselves, as well as their organizations. In addition, E-businesses will find the results useful because the value of their organizations depends primarily on the value of their intellectual capital. The study also focused on the determination methods used by profit-making organizations in the evaluation of human capital. Therefore, other researchers may find the results of this study relevant, while conducting other studies in the future. 6. 5 Limitations Several difficulties or challenges were encountered while conducting this study that may have influenced results, either positively or negatively: Limitations faced by the researcher during the process of this study included the persuasion of organizations to adopt the new or standard metric of measuring Knowledge Capital, communication for benefits to be derived from findings, the lack of industrial experience and practical knowledge, and the deficiency of funds for quality productions. 6. 6 Scope for Future Research The purpose of this study was to determine how organizations value knowledge capital and how they make it grow. The study examined data collected across industries and the responses were nearly uniform. They all agreed that there is no standard method of measuring human capital. In addition, all agreed that the methods currently used to measure knowledge capital are inadequate for representing its true value. Hence, the value of knowledge capital is not calculated. Based on this study, the author recommends that further research be conducted to develop a model or standard method for measuring knowledge capital across all industries. The model must be easy, accurate, and practical. Moreover, while conducting future research, future researchers should bear in mind the following recommendations: It is important to be in partnership with someone who has industrial experience, or better yet, seek support or sponsorship from companies. This would also solve the problem of funding. Second, use a combination of data collection instruments, such as face-to-face interviews and questionnaires. Collect both quantitative and qualitative data to validate the results. Lastly, a year or two would be the best preference in conducting this research, especially it it is on a global scale.