The Relationship of Social Capital and Psychological Capital with the Organizational Performance of the Staff at Jiroft University of Medical Sciences

Abstract

Background: The main goal of all organizations is to improve organizational performance and achieve development and excellence. The most important factor contributing to this goal is the cohesion of social capital. The stability or cohesion of the social capital is achieved through a positive psychological state. As medical universities play a vital role in the health system, they always need development, dynamism, and optimization of organizational performance. To this end, the present study sought to investigate the relationship of social capital and psychological capital with organizational performance at Jiroft University of Medical Sciences. Methods: The data in this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study were collected using the questionnaires developed by Felício et al and Luthans et al. The participants (n=250) were selected from the staff working at Jiroft University of Medical Sciences using multi-stage random cluster sampling and the Cochran formula. Data were analyzed using Anderson and Gerbin’s two-step approach. Results: The data revealed that psychological capital had a significant positive relationship with social capital and organizational performance. Moreover, social capital had a significant, positive, and incremental relationship with organizational performance. In addition, psychological capital had an indirect and incremental relationship with organizational performance through social capital. In other words, psychological capital indirectly improves organizational performance by increasing social capital. Conclusion: The findings from the present study suggested that psychological capital had a significant positive effect on social capital, confirming the mediating role of social capital in the relationship between psychological capital and organizational performance.