Rethinking Knowledge Production in University Research Teams: An Intellectual Capital‐Based Analysis From Chinese Engineering Disciplines

ABSTRACT This study examines how configurations of intellectual capital shape knowledge production in university research teams. Using a dataset of Chinese engineering research teams (2017–2021), we find that intellectual capital affects research productivity and influence in distinct ways. Human capital shows nonlinearity: an optimal mix of core and backbone members is associated with higher output and impact. Structural capital exhibits trade‐offs: topic breadth and diversity scale publication quantity, whereas excessive topic proliferation and certain coordination structures can dilute citation‐based impact; cohesion among prolific authors tends to reduce output but increase impact. Relational capital also depends on tie type: domestic and international academic collaborations enhance both quantity and FWCI—especially international ties—while non‐academic collaborations are linked to lower citation impact, consistent with a visibility gap under citation‐based evaluation. The findings advance intellectual capital theory by demonstrating contingent, configurational effects at the team level and offer implications for research team governance and evaluation design in higher education.