Blog #9: Describe the definition of the five types of non-financial capitals. Discuss how something you are currently doing or should be doing can increase your value as a knowledge worker.

The five types of non-financial capital include: cultural, intellectual, emotional, human, and social.

Cultural capital refers to social assets that promote the movement of an individual or a groups social standing by means that are not economic. Some examples of cultural capital are education, appearance, and intellect. There are three types of cultural capital: embodied, objectified, and institutionalized. Embodied capital consists of an individual’s qualities that are either inherited such as family traditions and socialization or intentionally acquired. Objectified capital consists of a person’s cultural assets such as art. Institutionalized cultural capital is most often academic accomplishments.

Intellectual capital is the knowledge of an individual or group in a society or a business. Intellectual capital is classified into three groups: human capital, structural, and relational.

Human capital is the value that a business’s employees provide through their skills and expertise. Structural capital is what a business uses to enable human capital to work such as processes; but it can also include more obvious assets such as buildings, software, databases, and even the image of the organization itself. Relational capital refers to the relationships that a corporation has with suppliers, consumers, franchises and trademarks.

Emotional capital is the brand value of a product that causes individuals to continue purchasing a product. There are three factors in emotional capital: external, internal and interpersonal.

Social capital is the expected benefits gained from interaction and collaboration between individuals and groups. Each type of non-financial capital is important to businesses when choosing their employees but it is also important for individuals to improve themselves.

All five capitals interrelate to one another, balancing one another. I am doing some things personally that affect my knowledge working career. My cultural capital would be my higher education of studying INFS and continuing to pursue my military career. This particular capital one would be categorized as ‘institutionalized cultural capital’. A great example of my intellectual capital is the unit I’m assigned to during my drill and my full-time unit status at my full time job.