Methodology and tools for the organization's social capital empirical research: the theoretical approaches analysis

Abstract

The article contains the results of the methodological approaches to the formation of tools for the study of organizational social capital analysis. The author identifies theoretical and methodological problems that actualize the operationalization and choice of measurement procedures for the study of social capital in connection with its increasing role in the management of organizations. The article highlights the minimum requirements for the operationalization of social capital which are not implemented in most studies. Based on the analysis, the author identifies deductive (more classical) and inductive methodological strategies. The first strategy requires an initial clear definition of social capital as an object of research and identification of its constituent elements. The second strategy involves constructing the concept of social capital as a result of generalizing empirical phenomena. The results of the analysis of several generalized operationalization schemes proposed by various researchers (“top-down” and “bottom-up” schemes) are presented. It is concluded that the advantages of constructing the concept of social capital on the basis of an empirical approach in comparison with the theoretical and deductive approach which however is limited due to the subject of study. Attempts of social capital meta-analysis are reduced to the study of effects rather than content. The article notes the increasing role of digitalization in the formation of network communities that are transformed under new information and communication structures influence into a diversified type of social associations that do not radically change the nature and content of social capital.