The present qualitative study explores what eleven Swedish organizations have system- atically worked at to increase the understanding of the importance of intangibles as performance drivers. The present analysis is accomplished using a combination of evolutionary theory, knowledge-based theory and organizational learning. The results indicate that assets in an accounting sense seem to be of less interest than perceptions of activities that enable future performance. These ‘enablers’ are often customer and employee perceptions of individual, organizational and relational competence. The way for the Ž rms to ascertain a continuous organizational learning process with respect to the value creation chain is to measure intangibles as well as to maintain organizational routines that ensure the transformation of measurement results into action.

This qualitative study explores the management control of intangibles in three Swedish companies. The present analysis is discussed in terms of four theoretical perspectives, namely, evolutionary, action, organizational learning and structuration theory. The results indicate that such enablers of performance as customer and employee perceptions of individuals and organizational and relational competence are the key attributes that firms address. Equally important, however, are different routines that facilitate learning and the transformation of knowledge into action. Routines additional to surveys include statistical analysis, benchmarking, dialogues, salary bonuses, and contracts.