Aspects Of Capital Research Articles

Have later state pensions made people less connected? The effects of older female pension ages in England on social capital

Abstract Many countries have increased their state pension ages (SPAs) to offset demographic ageing and to increase numbers of older people remaining in paid work. Most research attention has focused on the economic outcomes whereas little attention has been paid to impacts on social capital, including rates of volunteering and care-giving. Prior research suggests that these are sensitive to retirement decisions. Using nine waves of individual longitudinal data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, this study examines the effects of increased SPA on volunteering, group membership and providing care. Our results show that higher SPAs have a negative impact on rates of volunteering and providing care, particularly for women in couples. Single women are not affected, and there are not significant effects on group membership and childcare provision. The more work-like aspects of social capital are affected by the increased SPA.

The impact of information overload on the four psychological capital aspects of university students in Shanghai during health emergencies

The impact of information overload on the four psychological capital aspects of university students in Shanghai during health emergencies

Sleep Capital: Linking Brain Health to Wellbeing and Economic Productivity Across the Lifespan

Introduction and frameworkSleep capital contributes to individual and societal wellbeing, productivity, and economic outcomes and involves a novel aspect of brain capital. It encompasses the quality and quantity of sleep as integral components that influence cognitive abilities, mental and brain health, and physical health, affecting workplace productivity, learning, decision-making, and overall economic performance. Here, we bring a framework to understand the complex relationship between sleep quality, health, wellbeing, and economic productivity. Then we outline the multilevel impact of sleep on cognitive abilities, mental/brain health, and economic indicators, providing evidence for the substantial returns on investment in sleep health initiatives. Moreover, sleep capital is a key factor when considering brain health across the lifespan, especially for the aging population. DiscussionWe propose specific elements and main variables to develop specific indexes of sleep capital to address its impacts on health, wellbeing and productivity. ConclusionFinally, we suggest policy recommendations, workplace interventions, and individual strategies to promote sleep health and brain capital. Investing in sleep capital is essential for fostering a healthier, happier, fairer and more productive society.

The Role of Companions in the Wirausaha Baru (WUB)Program of Depok City in 2023

The Wirausaha Baru (WUB) Program is a government program under the coordination of the Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (UKM) whose implementation is handed over to the city-level government, in this case, the Department of Cooperatives & Micro Enterprises (DKUM). This program has been running since 2017 until now and continues to experience developments in implementation practices in the field. The Depok City Government is one of the city governments that has consistently implemented the Wirausaha Baru (WUB) Program. This empowerment program, which targets micro-business actors, focuses on capital aspects and includes training, mentoring, and providing infrastructure to develop businesses. Program participants selected will be given the proper entrepreneurial knowledge and the ability to grow their businesses through entrepreneurship education, business management, marketing access, access to financing, and product legality. Participants also receive assistance in capital, marketing, and business management. In mentoring activities, the Companion is one of the elements that has a significant role as a Change Agent / Actor of Change (Ife, 1997), In every program, it is always hoped that the Program Participants will achieve changes for the better according to the targets or goals of the program owner. This research analyzes mentoring activities in implementing the Depok City Wirausaha Baru (WUB) Program in 2023. This research approach is qualitative with a descriptive research type. In-depth interviews were conducted with Mentors at all levels, Program Participants, and Program Organizers, using purposive sampling techniques. The research results show that mentoring activities in the 2023 New City Entrepreneurship (WUB) program are running well and in accordance with what is regulated in Depok Mayor Regulation No. 20 of 2022 concerning Guidelines for Wirausaha Baru (WUB) Programs. The competencies obtained from the Companion Training/TOT and the mentoring work forms created by the Implementation Team help the Companion carry out their roles and functions as enablers, educators, advocates, brokers, and experts.

HUMAN CAPITAL AS A DEVELOPMENT FACTOR OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Authors explore the role of human capital in organic agriculture in Serbia. Through semi-structured interviews with 64 individual farmers holding organic production certificates, key aspects of human capital, including education level, language proficiency and ICT usage were analyzed. Findings reveal a disparity between conventional and organic farming in terms of computer literacy and ICT utilization, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to enhance technological adoption in organic farming. Moreover, the study identifies the importance of membership in agricultural associations for organic farmers, facilitating knowledge exchange and market penetration. The results suggest that human capital plays a pivotal role in driving advancements in organic agriculture, with implications for the sustainability and growth of the sector in Serbia. This underscores the necessity for future research to go deeper into human capital dynamics and their implications for sustainable agricultural development.

Capital aspects of livestock procurement in households raising beef cattle in Nagari Lakitan Utara, Pesisir Selatan Regency

This study aimed to describe the sources of capital for livestock procurement, especially the gaduhan (sharing) system, in small-scale operations in in Lakitan Utara Nagari, Lengayang Subdistrict, Pesisir Selatan Regency, Sumatera Barat Province. This descriptive study was conducted by observations, surveys, and interviews, involving 100 respondents. Results showed that 61% adopted the gaduhan system, 28% were self-funded, while 8% used self and gaduhan funds, and 3% received endowment in addition to their own funds. The gaduhan system was widely practiced because many farmers still experienced a limited access to capital. The profit sharing of this system could further categorised into two types, which were distributions of sales proceeds from fattening of male cattle and distributions of calves from a cow-calf operations.

Enhancing entrepreneurial strategy skills in Saudi universities employees: The impact of psychological capital

Psychological capital is recognized as a positive and unique factor that plays a crucial role in human resource development and performance management. It has the potential to increase employees’ efforts towards achieving organizational goals and improving their entrepreneurial strategy skills. The objective of this study was to examine the contribution of psychological capital in enhancing the entrepreneurial strategy skills of employees in Saudi universities. The study employed a descriptive approach, specifically utilizing the survey study method. The study sample was intentionally selected from different categories within the study population. Data was collected from 530 participants using two questionnaires. The findings revealed that employees exhibited an average level of psychological capital, while their practice of entrepreneurial strategy skills was rated as poor. The study also demonstrated that psychological capital significantly contributes to enhancing employees’ entrepreneurial strategy skills. Furthermore, statistically significant differences were observed in the psychological capital of employees across certain variables, such as personal and functional aspects. The average level of psychological capital among employees indicates the need for further development in this area. By focusing on enhancing psychological capital, organizations can effectively improve the entrepreneurial strategy skills of their employees. It is clear that investing in the psychological capital of employees can lead to significant improvements in their entrepreneurial strategy skills. This highlights the potential for organizations to foster a more entrepreneurial mindset and approach among their staff members. Additionally, the study’s findings underscore the need to tailor interventions and development programs to address specific aspects of psychological capital that may vary across different employees. Overall, the study emphasizes that psychological capital is a valuable resource that should be nurtured and developed within the organizational context. By doing so, organizations can not only enhance the entrepreneurial strategy skills of their employees but also cultivate a more resilient, motivated, and engaged workforce. This has the potential to contribute to the overall success and innovation of Saudi universities and similar institutions.

Community-level group sports participation and all-cause, cardiovascular disease, and cancer mortality: a 7-year longitudinal study

BackgroundCommunity-level group sports participation is a structural aspect of social capital that can potentially impact individual health in a contextual manner. This study aimed to investigate contextual relationship between the community-level prevalence of group sports participation and the risk of all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer mortality in older adults.MethodsIn this 7-year longitudinal cohort study, data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study, a nationwide survey encompassing 43,088 functionally independent older adults residing in 311 communities, were used. Cause of death data were derived from the Japanese governmental agency, The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, for secondary use. “Participation” was defined as engaging in group sports for one or more days per month. To analyze the data, a two-level survival analysis was employed, and hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.ResultsAmong the participants, 5,711 (13.3%) deaths were identified, with 1,311 related to CVD and 2,349 to cancer. The average group sports participation rate was 28.3% (range, 10.0–52.7%). After adjusting for individual-level group sports participation and potential confounders, a higher community-level group sports participation rate was found to be significantly associated with a lower risk of both all-cause mortality (HR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.83–0.95) and cancer mortality (HR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.81–0.98) for every 10% point increase in the participation rate. For CVD mortality, the association became less significant in the model adjusted for all covariates (HR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.82–1.09).ConclusionsOur findings support the existence of a preventive relationship between community-level group sports participation and the occurrence of all-cause and cancer mortality among older individuals. Promoting group sports within communities holds promise as an effective population-based strategy for extending life expectancy, regardless of individual participation in these groups.

Design of a Basic Analytical Framework for Human Capital, Public Goods and Institutions Based on Linguistic Economics

In the paper, we analyze and demonstrate the economic nature of language from the aspects of human capital, public goods and institutions, and put forward three topics in the field of Language Economics: language human capital; Language is a kind of public goods; Language is a system. As human capital, it is one of the important factors that determine people's employment and income in the labor market. It is closely related to people's social and economic activities and economic conditions; As a public product, language can directly affect the choice and formulation of language policy; As a system, language not only affects the transaction cost, but also affects the effectiveness of other institutional arrangements. As far as the existing research is concerned, the research on proposition 1 has become a very mature field of language economics. The research on propositions 2 and 3 has just started, but the prospect is very broad. This is worth studying. It is reasonable to believe that the follow-up research of language economics is usually based on or supported by these three arguments. In this sense, they can be used as the basis of linguistic economic analysis.

Quality of Education and Economic Growth – Evidence from Southeast European Countries

This study seeks to ascertain the importance of educational quality over quantity in influencing economic growth, with a special focus on Southeast European countries. Traditional approaches have often emphasized the quantity of education, primarily the years of schooling. However, emerging evidence points towards the quality of education, represented by cognitive skills, as a more significant predictor of economic prosperity. The research evaluates global educational datasets that measure both qualitative and quantitative aspects of human capital. A notable emphasis is placed on the Harmonized Learning Outcomes (HLO) database by the World Bank, which reflects educational achievements, serving as a proxy for the quality of human capital.

PERBANDINGAN KINERJA NAÏVE BAYES DAN SVM PADA ANALISIS SENTIMEN TWITTER IBUKOTA NUSANTARA

The national capital is the center of government of a country and is often a symbol of sovereignty and national identity. The function and role of the capital city is very important in coordinating government activities, public policies and community services. This research aims to compare the effectiveness of two approaches for classification: Support Vector Machine and Naïve Bayes (SVM), in analyzing opinion sentiment towards the Indonesian capital based on Twitter data. Opinion sentiment analysis is crucial for understanding public views regarding various aspects of the Indonesian capital. The Twitter data used will involve opinions developing on social media regarding the Indonesian capital. The research methodology involves data collection, preprocessing, data sharing, Naïve Bayes and SVM model training, evaluation, and statistical analysis to compare the performance of the two models. Naïve Bayes and Support Vector Machine are the approaches employed in this study. The research results from the Naïve Bayes method present a sentiment analysis accuracy rate of 91%. The SVM method also provides a sentiment analysis accuracy rate of 94%. In light of the analysis's findings, the procedure utilizing the Support Vector Machine (SVM) method shows better results than the Naïve Bayes method in measuring sentiment towards the Indonesian capital.

Social capital for carers of patients with advanced organ failure: a qualitative exploration of stakeholders’ perspectives

BackgroundCarers of patients with advanced organ failure (AOF) experience a tremendous caregiving burden. Social capital utilizes the internal strength of a community to support its members and may provide carers with comprehensive support. This study aimed to identify the different sources of social capital that can support carers of patients with AOF from the perspectives of stakeholders.MethodA descriptive qualitative study was conducted in community settings from April 2021 to May 2022. Stakeholders from medical social work departments, self-help groups, and non-governmental organizations were recruited, while some community members were invited through online media platforms. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted using an interview guide. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a qualitative description approach. In total, 98 stakeholders, including 25 carers, 25 patients, 24 professionals, and 24 community members, were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling.ResultsSix categories about social capital for carers emerged, namely, carer attributes, the community, social care services, healthcare services, information, and policies. While the attributes of carers and their relationships with care recipients had a significant influence on caregiving, support from different groups in the community, such as neighbors and employers, was valued. Good communication of information about caregiving and social services was emphasized as being helpful by carers and other stakeholders. While carers presented a need for various healthcare and social care services, several features of these services, including their person-centeredness and proactive reach, were deemed useful. At the societal level, policies and research on comprehensive supportive services are warranted. The different sources of social capital constitute a multi-layer support system in the community.ConclusionCarers can utilize personal attributes, interpersonal relationships, community resources, and societal contexts to enhance their caregiving. While this system can serve as a framework for building carer-friendly communities, interventions may be required to strengthen some aspects of social capital.

Positive Orientation and Social Capital: The Insignificance of the Mediating Effects of Social Network Sites Usages

This research examined the relationships among positive orientation, types of social network sites (SNS) usage, and social capital. 235 private university students in Malaysia, aged from 18 to 30 (M = 19.64, SD = 1.50), participated in this research. They completed items that reflect on self-esteem, life satisfaction, optimism, the intensity of SNS use, the three connection strategies employed on SNS, and the bridging and bonding aspects of social capital. Factor analysis supported that self-esteem, life satisfaction, and optimism formed a single construct that was interpreted as positive orientation or positivity. Analyses revealed that the specific indirect effects of active use of SNS and the enacted SNS connection strategies on the relationship between positive orientation and social capital were not significant. Results revealed that the inclination to use SNS to seek relevant social information facilitated both weak and strong ties. Despite the benefits of SNS on the development of social capital, individuals with high positivity were able to form weak and strong ties that are beneficial without relying on these online platforms. The implications of the results and directions for future research are discussed.

HUMAN CAPITAL AND PERFORMANCE OF MICRO, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES: A LITERATURE REVIEW

This research aims to examine aspects of human capital that influence the performance of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). Drawing on an extensive review of literature from indexed journal databases, the study focused on identifying key factors related to "human capital" and "MSME performance." The comprehensive exploration revealed a multifaceted relationship between human capital aspects and MSME performance, unveiling pivotal influencers. The identified aspects of human capital found to exert a substantial influence on MSME performance encompass a wide spectrum. These include skills and competencies, education and training, employee motivation and engagement, employee health and welfare, innovation and creativity, communication and collaboration, digital skills, work ethics and organizational values, entrepreneurship and sense of ownership, as well as organizational diversity. This research contributes valuable insights for policymakers aiming to enhance the human capital capabilities of MSME entrepreneurs. By addressing these specific dimensions, policymakers can formulate targeted strategies to uplift the human capital landscape within MSMEs. Consequently, this targeted approach is anticipated to render MSMEs more productive, sustainable, and equipped to venture into international markets.

Social capital and all-cause mortality before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among middle-aged and older people: Prospective cohort study in Poland

Prior to the pandemic, studies demonstrated the mainly protective role of structural social capital on all-cause mortality, less evidence had been found for a protective role for cognitive social capital. However, some findings from the early stage of the pandemic suggest that civic participation and group affiliation may be associated with more COVID-19-related deaths, as was interpersonal trust. Thus, the study aimed to verify indicators of individual social capital as risk factors for 7.6-year all-cause mortality before COVID-19 pandemic and 1.6-year all-cause mortality during of the pandemic among men and women aged 50+ years in Poland.The Polish part of the COURAGE in Europe cross-sectional baseline study was conducted in 2011. The analysis included 2913 face-to-face interviews with randomly selected community-dwelling individuals. Information about deaths was obtained from the State Systems Department on Oct 7, 2021. Various aspects of structural and cognitive social capital were measured. The Cox proportional hazard models were used.Before the pandemic, a protective effect of structural (formal and informal social participation) and cognitive social capital (trust in family, trust in co-workers) on the risk of death was observed in women. However, a negative effect of cognitive social capital (trust in strangers) was found for women and men. No positive effect of social capital during the pandemic after controlling for the health-related characteristics was found. A negative effect of generalized trust on all-cause mortality during the pandemic was discerned for men, a negative effect of the level of one's social network was found in women.The observed patterns of relationships were totally different for analyzed periods of time, and different for men and women. Consequently, planning of social interventions directed towards middle and older age groups should consider various actions for men and women separately. The need for continuous evaluation of implemented social interventions was emphasized.

Minority bonding to political self-efficacy: a case study on bonding and bridging social capital and political self-efficacy among adolescents in Finland

While social capital is claimed to predict, for example, a higher level of trust, better health, and higher voter turnout, its uneven distribution causes concern in society. In this study, we examine which aspects of social capital are connected to political self-efficacy, which is an important predictor of political participation and associated with for example political interest. According to our knowledge, there is a research gap both in terms of studies focusing on analyzing the effect of minority status on political self-efficacy via social capital and studies analyzing these patterns among adolescents living their formative years. In this article we test this mediating effect of social capital among majority and minority adolescents since minorities can be expected to have relatively more bonding social capital and less bridging social capital. In the Finnish context, this is particularly interesting since the Swedish-speaking minority is praised for its high level of social capital that is suggested to explain a lot of its success ranging from better health to a higher turnout compared with the majority. Analyzing a nationwide dataset of 15–16-year-old students (N = 5,189) completing their final year of comprehensive education in Finland in a multilevel structural equation model, we discover that belonging to the Swedish-speaking minority seems to strengthen bonding social capital (social networks, and community). The civic participation, community, and social networks aspects of social capital are positively connected to the level of political self-efficacy, while generalized trust has no connection to it. All these findings indicate that societies should take measures to strengthen bridging and bonding social capital among both adolescents and minorities.

Analysis of External Factors on MSME Performance Through Internal Factors (Case Study on Embroidery MSMEs in Mojokerto District)

This research was conducted to test the influence of external factors on the performance of MSMEs through internal factors with a case study carried out on embroidery MSMEs in Mojokerto Regency. This research uses external factor variables consisting of aspects of government policy and aspects of the role of related institutions as exogenous variables. The mediating variables in this research are internal factors which include capital aspects, market and marketing aspects and human resource aspects. Meanwhile, the endogenous variable in this research is the Performance of Embroidery MSMEs in Mojokerto Regency. The research population used was embroidery MSMEs in Mojokerto Regency which are members of the Mojokerto Regency Embroidery Entrepreneurs Association (ASPENDIR) totaling 60 embroidery MSMEs in Pasuruan Regency with the sampling method used was the census method. External factors also have a significant influence and are positively related to the internal factors of embroidery MSMEs in Pasuruan Regency. Internal factors have a significant influence and are negatively related to the performance of Embroidery MSMEs in Mojokerto Regency. Meanwhile, the influence of external factors on the performance of MSMEs through Internal Factors is significant but has a negative relationship

Influence of Intellectual Capital and Personal Growth on Organizational Performance in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

This research aims to test the application of organizational performance to MSMEs in Banyumas, Cilacap, and Brebes Regencies by considering aspects of human capital, structural capital, customer capital, and personal growth. This research used a sample of 200 MSME respondents from the Banyumas, Cilacap, and Brebes Regencies. The sampling was calculated using the Slovin Technique. The population used in this research was 19,044 MSMEs in the Banyumas, Cilacap, and Brebes Regencies. The analytical tool used in this research is Smart-PLS, using an inner model, an outer model, and hypothesis testing. The outer model is used for validity and reliability tests. Inner models were carried out for R-square and F-square tests. Hypothesis testing is carried out through bootstrapping testing. This research shows that the variables human capital, structural capital, customer capital, and personal growth positively affect organizational performance. The implication resulting from this research is that MSME players must optimize their business potential by considering aspects of human capital, structural capital, customer capital, and personal growth to improve organizational performance in MSMEs

The Distinction Among Political Humor Meme Creators in the Political Field of The 2019 Presidential Campaign for The Jokowi-Amin Pairing on Twitter

Political meme creators play an important role in conveying political messages, shaping public opinion as well as the practice of decision making through the political memes produced. Political memes circulating on various social media during the campaign period of the 2019 Presidential Election 2019 largely contain hate speech, hoax and character assassination. Nearing the grand campaign for the 2019 presidential election, political memes were popping up everywhere, containing humorous narratives in conveying political messages and support to the 2019 Jokowi-Amin pairing, which were distinct when compared to political memes in general. This study aimed to explore distinct actions by political humor meme creators around the grand campaign for the 2019 presidential election for the 2019 Jokowi-Amin pairing on Twitter. This study used a qualitative approach with the case study method. Primary data were obtained from observations and in-depth interviews with political humor meme creators who produced political humor memes nearing the grand campaign for Jokowi-Amin. Secondary data were sourced from digital materials (political memes, political humor memes, videos, and digital media). The results showed that the distinct behaviors displayed by these political humor meme creators influenced by habitus and capital aspects which aim to describe tastes and form classes in their social structure. Tastes are not only limited to consumption patterns of food, clothing and culture, but also include political ways of political humor meme creators who use humorous narratives in political memes to show their social class by not resorting to hate speech in winning the Jokowi-Amin pairing.

Non-Native English-Speaking Teachers and Self-Appreciation: How Non-Native English-Speaking Teachers Can Gain Equity by Learning to Appreciate Themselves

This research paper explores how non-native English-speaking teachers can consider using their multilingualism and transnationalism as assets in creating competitive portfolios fit for the 21st century linguistic marketplace. This enhancement in the portfolio to attract credit as ‘investors of the self’ is an aspect of human capital that can be utilized by non-native English-speaking teachers to enhance their self-esteem. This, in turn, can encourage potential investors to view non-native English-speaking teachers as relevant players in a global landscape that appreciates linguistic diversity and pluralism, as well as transnational experience. This research was conducted by performing interviews with non-native English-speaking teachers and an analysis of website 2.0 sources, aiming to gain insights into the opinions of non-native English-speaking teachers regarding their human capital and how new approaches can aid their equity within the field of English language teaching. The results demonstrated a desire in teachers to utilize their inherent skillsets comprising multilingual and transnational capabilities.