Social Quality, Knowledge Hiding, and Community Capacity: A Study on Multi-Ethnic Communities in Chinese Cities

Abstract

Community capacity and knowledge hiding are important for community governance and ethnic unity in multi-ethnic communities. However, existing research is fragmented about what influences community capacity and knowledge hiding. Using social quality theory as a systematic analysis framework, we propose that social quality influences knowledge hiding and community capacity in different ways. We study 19 multi-ethnic communities in China to empirically examine social quality and its impact on community capacity and knowledge hiding, using a qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) method. Our findings suggest that socio-economic security, social inclusion, social cohesion, and social empowerment are complementary; their various combinations can promote community capacity and reduce knowledge hiding. Social inclusion and social cohesion are the primary factors in improving community capacity, while the former is the principal factor in reducing knowledge hiding. Furthermore, different types of communities enhance community capacity and reduce knowledge hiding through different paths.