TY - JOUR AB - Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to analyse the societal supply of intellectual capital (IC).Design/methodology/approach– Conceptual analysis supported by statistical data.Findings– The supply of IC is closely related to the existence of Welfare States (WS).Research limitations/implications– A wider and deeper study should complement this one.Practical implications– Politicians, Non‐Governmental Organizations and private organizations should understand that they can help the creation of the IC level they need in their countries and organizations, by supporting the creation of WS and social policies.Originality/value– Social policies are neglected in the IC discussions, and this paper puts them at the core of the IC problematic, with wide and deep practical implications. VL - 9 IS - 3 SN - 1469-1930 DO - 10.1108/14691930810892054 UR - https://doi.org/10.1108/14691930810892054 AU - Tomé Eduardo PY - 2008 Y1 - 2008/01/01 TI - The hidden face of intellectual capital: social policies T2 - Journal of Intellectual Capital PB - Emerald Group Publishing Limited SP - 499 EP - 518 Y2 - 2024/04/25 ER -