Vairinhos, Valter Martins2017-07-172017-07-172016Capatina, A., et al. Leveraging intellectual capital through Lewin’s force field analysis (the case of software development companies). Journal of Innovation & Knowledge (2016), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2016.07.001http://hdl.handle.net/10400.26/18635This article outlines an original conceptual framework for the strategic management of intellectual capital assets in software development companies, interconnected with force field analysis approach. The framework allows assessing the opinions of the managers from software companies about the impact of both driving and restraining forces on the pillars of intellectual capital. Considering the capacity to adapt to change as one of the most relevant for the companies from knowledge intensive industries, this research uses a sample of 74 software development companies located in Romania to offer valuable insights on foresight capabilities to enable change benefits by managing the driving forces, respectively the restraining forces, at the level of IC pillars (human, structural and relational). The findings, represented by the average scores per each item embedded in the conceptual framework, show that the driving forces’ effects, quantified by means of PathMaker software’s Force Field Tool, are more significant than the restraining forces to change, in the case of each IC pillar. This paper’s original contribution consists of the explanatory power of the proposed framework to managers’ needs to find answers in the scientific research community to their challenging responsibility to drive change in their organizations through effective IC management. Furthermore, the article describes how the validation of the results encourages the implementation of change that aim to create value for the software development companies.engIntellectual capital;Kurt Lewin;Force field analysis;Organizational change;Strategic intelligence;Software industry;Multidimensional scalingjournal article