The Effect of Social Capital on Personal Happiness: A Focus on Service Inderstry Employees

Abstract

The purpose of this study focuses on finding the influences of social capital on personal happiness by studying service industry employees. This current study utilized a questionnaire survey method which was used to collect the analysis data, from July 20 to August 10 in 2019. 281 questionnaires were gathered in Korea and the statistical analysis was conducted. This study recognized social capital as 3 independent variables and personal happiness as a dependent variable. Social capital is composed of the social network, social trust and social norms. First, the social network consisted of the satisfaction degree in one's social relations and the social interaction degree. Second, social trust is composed of the trust degree with ones neighbors in the same local area. Last, social norms are consisted of reciprocity, participation and a sense of belonging one feels in the same society. The findings of this study were as follows: first, it was found that social network, social trust, and social norms made affirmative influences on personal happiness of the employees. Second, the social network and social norms made statistically significant influences with personal happiness, but social trust was shown to not have similar influence.