The impact of social capital on organisational learning in higher education: a tool for empowerment, innovation, and competitive advantage

Abstract

ABSTRACT The present study investigated the impact of social capital on organisational learning as perceived by 554 faculty members from five public universities in Jordan. The internal social capital scale and organisational learning capability scale was validated through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Results of the validation indicated that social capital holds three domains (cognitive, structural, and relational). However, organisational learning was found to include only two domains (management commitment and ‘internal and external learning’). Moreover, results indicated that social capital and organisational learning are highly practiced in Jordanian public universities. Further, a very strong and positive relationship existed between social capital and organisational learning. Finally, results of the study indicated that the cognitive social capital was the best predictor of overall organisational learning explaining 68.9% of the variance. This study is considered the first to fill the gap in the literature regarding the impact of social capital on organisational learning in higher education institutions from Jordan. The results of this study can be used by academics and practitioners to further research in a non-western culture and to design strategies to improve and sustain social capital and organisational learning.