"Relational wealth" is defined in this book as resources created for a firm through its internal relations among and with employees, as well as its external alliances and reputation. This collection analyzes the ways in which successful firms both access and optimize such knowledge.

The editors of this collection define relational wealth as resources created for a firm through its internal relations among and with employees, as well as its external alliances and reputation. Relational wealth is an intangible asset that successful firms optimize and leverage. There are several aspects of relational wealth that are the levers for managing the level of wealth for a firm: trust, knowing who knows what, reputation, and infrastructure. Relational wealth is not the same thing as human capital-the knowledge, skills, and abilities that employees possess. Rather it derives from the ability of the firm and its employees to access that knowledge, including how well they work together as a team.