Components Of Social Capital Research Articles

Polong Renten: in Improving the Welfare of Employees of Village Owned Business Institutions (Bumdes) in Lombok Utara Regency

BUMDes development in North Lombok Regency is accelerating; practically all communities in North Lombok Regency now have BUMDes. Along with its development, BUMDes in the North Lombok district is experiencing a number of issues within the BUMDES institution itself, including concerns with its accreditation. (1) Each BUMDes performance has not been optimized; (2) A lack of a conducive business climate; (3) a lack of information and market access; (4) a lack of capital; and (5) a lack of entrepreneurial spirit and spirit among employees, all of which have an impact on the performance and welfare of BUMDes personnel. In order to improve BUMDes performance in North Lombok Regency. What must be done is to strengthen the importance of social capital. Until date, there has been a significant social capital in North Lombok Regency; the social capital in question is the rent-seeking system. Polong Renteng serve as recommendations for the community in terms of behavior, respecting one another among people, implementing a mutual cooperative living, and contributing to the people's lives in North Lombok Regency. If all organizational managers follow this advice, the organization's performance will improve. A literature review was chosen as the research method in this study. The findings revealed that the social capital of Polong Renteng played a significant influence in boosting the performance and welfare of BUMDes employees in the North Lombok district. This component of rent-seeking pod social capital serves as the social glue that holds the group together. With this broader component, the quality and quantity of BUMDes organizations/institutions (performance) can be improved, hence improving the welfare of BUMDes management. Furthermore, the existence of BUMDes in villages in the North Lombok region is often seen as successful and seamless since it has had a good impact on local communities. Implications for the development sector and community empowerment, particularly in building business abilities, boosting knowledge, skills, and attitudes that will lead to increased revenue. The establishment of BUMDes is capable of growing and nurturing an entrepreneurial spirit in rural communities, as well as instilling a sense of responsibility for policy.

Social Capital and Firm Performance: The Tourism Market Case

There has been a shift in the management of organizations from separation to networking among market participants. Social capital has a significant role among the enforcing mechanisms in specific markets. The study assesses the impact of the level of social capital on the effectiveness of a network-based organization. The methodological framework of the research includes a set of neoinstitutional theories and strategic management, among which the key ones are the theories of networks, social capital, and transaction costs. Research methods in the theoretical part of the paper are synthesis, typology, and content analysis. The information base of the study is a survey and statistical reporting of 101 tourist organizations of the Russian Sverdlovsk region for 2017–2020. We identify structural, relational, and cognitive components of an organization's social capital and establish the impact of the components of social capital on the growth rate of revenue and the growth rate of profitability of sales in Russian tourism for two (2017–2019) and three (2017–2020) years. There are positive and negative effects of the social capital impact in the organization. The social structure (structural component of social capital) and behavioral practices (relational and cognitive components) ensure the sustainability and growth of the business. However, neglecting market-based transaction management mechanisms risks reducing the growth of network «embeddedness» and the organization's performance.

Designing Organizations for Collaborative Relationships: the Amenability of Social Capital to Inter-Agency Collaboration in the Graduate Employment Context in Uganda

This paper discusses organizational social capital with the view that its amenability to collaboration creates trust, mutuality and reciprocal relational values upon which organizations may synchronize their efforts to create graduate employment opportunities. We adopted a cross-sectional survey design with both quantitative and qualitative approaches. We conveniently collected data from staff and leaders of four organizations which were purposely selected to represent a cross-section of government, private and civil society organizations whose mandate touches on the employability of university graduates in the country in very direct ways. From a sample of 175 respondents, we received 105 filled questionnaires, representing a response rate of 62%. We observed that the extent to which the social capital components of trust, mutuality and reciprocal relations were amenable to interagency collaboration were low to sufficiently permit collaborative relationships upon which synergy between agencies would enhance the creation of graduate employment opportunities. The implication of this study is that we have been trained to foster self-sufficiency, individual competence, individual brilliance and independence through the pursuance of individual goals and actions. This greatly affects the trust, mutuality and reciprocal relationships that people/organizations develop with one another, consequently denying societies or organizations the opportunity to tap into the synergistic capital that would help people or organizations tackle the challenges that are beyond their individual capabilities.

Internet Use and Depressive Symptoms Among Chinese Older Adults: The Mediation and Suppression Effects of Social Capital.

Exploring the social factors of mental health among older adults has become a hot topic. This study aimed to examine the relationships between internet use, social capital and depressive symptoms in older adults. Our data were derived from a sample of 6,840 respondents aged 60 and over in the 2018 wave of the China Family Panel Studies. The ordinary least square (OLS) regression results showed that both Internet use characteristics (including access, emotional activities, and online time) and social capital components (including contact with adult children and trust) were protective factors for the prevention of depressive symptoms among older adults. The generalized structural equation modeling (GSEM) results displayed that Internet use not only had a negatively direct effect on depressive symptoms, but also generated a negatively indirect effect on depressive symptoms by structural social capital (i.e., contact with adult children), suggesting that structural social capital mediated the above link. Conversely, the indirect effects of internet use on depressive symptoms via cognitive social capital (i.e., interpersonal trust and institutional trust) were significantly positive, indicating that the relationship between Internet use and depressive symptoms was suppressed by cognitive social capital. These findings address the gaps in previous research on older adults' mental health and have practical implications for policy makers.

Does social capital interact with economic hardships in influencing older adults\u2019 health? A study from China

BackgroundThe importance of social and economic capital as predictors of health is widely documented, yet the complexity of interactions between them and effects on older people’s health is still unclear. Combining the material and psychosocial explanations of health, this study explores the potential interactions between social and economic capital in influencing older adults’ health in urban and rural China.MethodsUsing data from the China Family Panel Survey, physical and mental health in 2018 were regressed on social and economic capital indicators in 2016, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics of 3535 respondents aged 65 and older. Rothman’s synergy index was calculated to investigate potential interaction effects.ResultsEconomic hardships were significantly related to both self-reported health and mental health. Neighborhood cohesion and social participation were significantly associated with mental health for all, bonding trust was significantly associated with mental health for urban older people. We found no significant associations between social capital components and self-reported health. There was an interaction effect between low neighborhood cohesion and economic hardships, and between low social participation and economic hardships, creating an increased burden of poor mental health. The interaction effect between low bonding trust and economic hardships on mental health was apparent only among urban older people.ConclusionsGeographical settings are important factors in the complexity between social and economic capital in affecting older health. Intervention efforts directed towards reducing simultaneously multiple dimensions of deprivation, such as poverty, social exclusion, social isolation, could be helpful in improving older people’s health. In materially deprived places, policies to promote health equity by improving social capital but without eliminating poverty may be less effective.

Social Capital as a Mediator in the Link between Women’s Participation in Team Sports and Health-Related Outcomes

The role of social capital in the association between team sports and health-related outcomes has not been well established in the literature. The purpose of this study was to explore whether social capital components (social support, trust, and social involvement) mediate the association between team sports and health-related outcomes (self-reported health, psychosomatic symptoms, and depressive symptoms). In a cross-sectional research design, we obtained data from 759 participants in the Mamanet Cachibol League, a community team sports model for women in Israel, as well as a comparison group of 308 women who did not participate in any team sports. Team captains were sent a link with an online questionnaire, which were then delivered to team members via text message. Using three parallel mediation models, we found that social support mediated the association between team sports and self-reported health, psychosomatic symptoms, and depressive symptoms. Trust mediated the association between team sports and both psychosomatic symptoms and depressive symptoms. Social involvement was not found to be a mediator in the association between team sports and any of the health-related outcomes. Our findings reveal the important role of social capital, specifically social support and trust, in promoting the health of women who participate in team sports.

Does Progress on Universal Health Coverage Explain COVID Cases and Deaths?

Research ObjectiveThe trajectory of COVID‐19 pandemic has been different across different countries and regions, with varying number of per‐population cases and deaths. Such variation may be a function of a number of country‐specific factors such as population distribution, disease profile, non‐pharmaceutical interventions (e.g., lockdowns) undertaken at the wake of the pandemic, political leadership, and others.Our objective is to examine the extent to which a country's progress towards universal health coverage (UHC) explains COVID outcomes. We also measure how the effect of UHC varies across different levels of social capital. We proxy the UHC progress using service coverage index (SCI). The SCI is a broad‐based measure of UHC, and is tracked at the country level by the World Health Organization (WHO) and its collaborating partners.Our overall hypothesis is that the UHC‐SCI has a protective effect on health, and therefore, is negatively associated with the COVID outcomes (COVID cases and deaths per 100 k population).Study DesignWe use longitudinal data‐based generalized linear models (GLMs) to investigate the relationship between the outcome variable (COVID cases and deaths) and the key explanatory variables. We run cross‐country linear regressions, with month fixed effects and country‐level clustering. We run two sets of linear regressions. First, we regress each COVID outcome on the SCI. Second, we regress each COVID outcome on the SCI and the interaction term between SCI and social capital. Both sets of regressions include controls for GDP per capita, share of population above 65, stringency measures, and COVID testing rates.Our data for the SCI comes from the WHO while the longitudinal (monthly) data on COVID outcomes and other key variables come from “ourworldindata.org” (University of Oxford). The data on government trust is obtained from the social capital component of the Legatum Prosperity Index (LPI), 2019.Population Studied173 countries.Principal FindingsOur findings show that there is a positive and strong association between UHC‐SCI and COVID outcomes. This is counterintuitive, and we suspect it is likely due to the dependency of testing for the actual ascertainment of cases and deaths. The coefficient on the interaction term (between SCI and social capital), however, is negative and statistically significant.ConclusionsThe effect of UHC seems to be protective among countries that are characterized by high level of social capital.Implications for Policy or PracticeThe effect of UHC seems to be protective among countries that are characterized by high level of social capital.

Identifying the Impact of the Components of Social Capital on the Migration of Villagers by Mediating Role of Place Attachment (Case Study: Jiroft Township)

مهاجرت مهم‌ترین پدیده‏ای است که می‏تواند موجودیت و بقای جوامع روستایی را به خطر بیندازد. هدف از پژوهش حاضر بررسی اثر مؤلفه‌‏های سرمایه اجتماعی و دلبستگی مکانی بر مهاجرت افراد در روستاهای شهرستان جیرفت است. جامعه آماری شامل جمعیت فعال روستایی بود و حجم نمونه با استفاده از جدول کرجسی و مورگان به روش نمونه‏‌گیری تصادفی با انتساب متناسب 382 نفر انتخاب شد. ابزار جمع‌‏آوری داده‏‌ها پرسشنامه‌‏ای محقق ساخته بود که برای تعیین روایی آن از پانل متخصصان استفاده شد. همچنین، به‌منظور سنجش پایایی ابزار تحقیق از آلفای کرونباخ استفاده شد و مقدار آن برای سنجه‏‌های مختلف پرسشنامه بین 71/0 تا 83/0 محاسبه گردید. نتایج تحلیل همبستگی پیرسون نشان داد هرچقدر فاصله محل سکونت روستاییان تا شهر بیشتر شود میزان مهاجرت آن‌ها هم به شهرها افزایش می‌یابد، از سوی دیگر هرچقدر سرمایه اجتماعی در میان روستاییان کاهش یابد مهاجرت به میزان زیادی افزایش می‌یابد. واکاوی حاصل از آزمون تحلیل مسیر نیز نشان داد تمام مؤلفه‌‏های سرمایه اجتماعی اثرات مستقیم و معنی‌داری بر مهاجرت دارند و در این بین مشارکت اجتماعی بیشترین اثر مستقیم معنی‌دار را بر مهاجرت روستاییان دارد. ضمن اینکه دلبستگی مکانی نیز دارای اثر منفی مستقیم معنی‏دار بر مهاجرت است. همچنین تمامی مؤلفه‌های سرمایه اجتماعی بر دلبستگی مکانی دارای اثر مستقیم مثبت معنی‌دار هستند، به این معنا که هر چه افراد در جوامع روستایی از سطح بالایی از مشارکت اجتماعی، انسجام اجتماعی، اعتماد اجتماعی، آگاهی اجتماعی و روابط اجتماعی برخوردار باشند احتمال دلبستگی مکانی در آن‌ها بیشتر می‌شود و در نتیجه احتمال مهاجرت در میان آن‌ها کاهش می‌یابد.

Личностные и средовые факторы жизненного успеха в российской провинции: аккумуляция или конфронтация?

The article actualizes the problem of self-assessment of personal and environmental factors of life success in the Russian province. The authors understand personal factors of success in life as a set of specific or typical characteristics of an individual that make up his human capital. Environmental factors include components of an individual's social capital, his group status, as well as macro-social conditions that have a potential impact on individual life trajectories. Based on the analysis, the authors reveal that the most significant is the combination of origin from a «good» family with sufficient financial and social capital and personal efforts and activity. At the same time, the paper note s that the majority of Russian families do not have sufficient resources for a successful life start of conditional children. Moreover, this gives in many respects the source of the growing importance of personal factors of life success in the mass consciousness, the sociocultural modernization of the Russian province and the gradual loss of the «familistic» character by Russian society.

Tolerance, social capital, and life satisfaction: a multilevel model from transition countries in the European Union

Tolerance of others on grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion and sexuality is an important component of social capital but has received scant attention in the social capital well-being literature. We examine the components of social capital and their relationship with life satisfaction using data from the Life in Transition Survey in European Union transition countries. A principal component factor analysis identifies three distinct and independent social capital components: tolerance, ties, and trust. Using a multilevel modelling approach, we estimate the relation between these components and life satisfaction, whilst controlling for individual and area effects. Tolerance, ties (networks) and trust are positively associated with life satisfaction.

The contaminating effect of social capital: How upper-class networks increase unethical behavior

Having friends in high places is often considered necessary to achieve success. Indeed, connections with upper-class individuals has been identified as a key component of social capital. Despite the tangible benefits upper-class network contacts can offer, we find that these networks have a dark side: the increased potential for unethical behavior, over and above one’s own social class. We propose that because upper-class individuals are less constrained by social norms, individuals with many upper-class contacts will perceive their network as having looser social norms. As a result, individuals with upper-class network ties will view morality as more relative and will be more likely to engage in unethical behavior. To test our core hypothesis that having upper-class contacts increases unethical behavior, we conducted five multi-method (archival, field, quasi-experimental, and experimental) studies involving a range of samples (CEOs, nationally representative adults, student roommates) in multiple cultures. This research takes a property of networks (its class composition), links it to perceptions of that network (the perceived norm looseness of one’s network contacts) and connects it to a psychological mindset (moral relativism) that ultimately affects unethical behavior. Our findings show that the benefits of social capital also carry a moral cost.

I got this! resource bundles and adversity: A situated entrepreneurial optimism perspective

Remaining optimistic in the face of adversity is critical during the entrepreneurial process. Entrepreneurship research has overwhelmingly focused on the consequences of optimism. Here, we shift this attention to the “whence” of optimism. Integrating micro- and macro-level resource theories, we build a situated entrepreneurial optimism framework to contend that resource combinations are associated with entrepreneurial optimism. To explore resource configurations, we use fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and examine five resource components tapping into human, social, and financial capital. We find that entrepreneurial optimism does not rest on one resource component but on the combination of at least two. Human and social capital components form a part of most configurations consistently associated with entrepreneurial optimism. This study extends entrepreneurship research by shifting the theoretical and empirical focus to the antecedents of optimism and contributes to macro-level resource theories by linking resources to more proximal venture outcomes.

Social division, trust, and reciprocity among Chinese inmates

Social capital promotes cooperation between people and, in turn, economic growth and stability. Trust and trustworthiness are components of social capital that are associated with economic success. This paper provides insight into the impact of social division on cooperative behavior. We use the one-shot investment game to measure trust and reciprocity among inmates in a Chinese prison, which offers an institutional setting that allows us to examine how social interaction, or a lack thereof, fosters cooperation. Results show that the variation in social division through physical separation does not have a significant impact on cooperative behavior among inmates. However, inmates are more trusting than our benchmark group of university students even though inmates have faced significant life challenges. While social interaction fails to boost trust and reciprocity, childhood experience and family environment mold social preferences. In particular, reciprocity deteriorates for those who have migrant mothers.

The influence of board social capital on corporate social responsibility reporting

PurposeThe main objective of this paper is to analyze the influence of multiple directorships, as a critical component of board social capital, on CSR reporting. This study also explores the moderating effect of certain board attributes on multiple directorships.Design/methodology/approachThe authors’ sample is composed of Spanish listed firms in the Madrid Stock Exchange for the period 2011–2017. A dynamic panel data model based on the Generalized Method of Moments (GMMs) is employed.FindingsRelying on a resource dependence view, the authors’ results highlight an ambiguously positive association between multiple directorships and the level of CSR reporting. In particular, this relationship is positively moderated by both board size and gender diversity.Research limitations/implicationsThese findings contribute to academic debates concerning the value of board members intellectual capital. In particular, the authors emphasize the importance of board social capital, as well as the need to consider the context in which directors make decisions.Practical implicationsThis evidence may prove helpful to firms when configuring the board of directors, and for regulators and professionals when refining their legislations and recommendations.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that empirically analyzes the impact of an important element of board social capital, such as multiple directorships, on CSR reporting, which has become crucial in financial markets.

Delineating the tacit knowledge‐seeking phase of knowledge sharing: The influence of relational social capital components

AbstractMuch knowledge on which performance in practice is based is tacit (Smith, 2001) making it a valuable, rare resource, which is difficult to imitate or substitute (Barney, 1991) and a vital source of organizational competitive advantage. However, there is limited research available delineating tacit from explicit knowledge (Insch et al., 2008; Garcia‐Perez & Mitra, 2007) and thus gaps in our understanding about how to derive the greatest value from it. Knowledge management (KM) is partly a socially constructed phenomenon embedded in people and relationships (Nonaka, 1991). However, KM research has neglected the role of the microlevel of individuals and social interactions (Foss, 2009). Furthermore, knowledge sharing research neglects to explore all phases of what is a bidirectional relationship. Scant research exists on the knowledge‐seeking process—from the seeker to the source (Hansen et al., 2005) as the focus is on the unidirectional notion of knowledge sharing—from the source to the seeker (Kim et al., 2011). This study utilizes the social capital lens, which focuses on social relationships and in particular therelations between, rather than thecharacteristics of, individuals, groups, processes, or organizations, to explore tacit knowledge‐seeking processes. The data are based on five American multinational manufacturing organizations and interviews with 105 operators, technicians, and engineers engaged in tacit knowledge work. The paper discusses the results of the investigation of the relational social capital factors of trust, norms, sanctions and social identification, and their influence on decisions to operationalize a tacit knowledge‐seeking interaction.

Targeting components of social capital on campus to alleviate Canadian post-secondary students’ academic stress

This study measured the effect of various dimensions of social capital on the reporting of stress impacting the academic performance of Canadian undergraduate students. The American College Health Association collects information on undergraduate students’ habits, behaviors, and perceptions of various health topics through the National College Health Assessment-II (NCHA-II) survey. This cross-sectional study utilized the Spring 2019 NCHA-II survey data from 55,284 respondents across 58 Canadian post-secondary institutions. Of this, 31,091 undergraduate students (56.2%) reported being stressed within the past year and were included in our analysis. Nine factors were selected from the questionnaire based on their relevance to social capital in the literature, and an additional seven socio-demographic factors were controlled for in subsequent analyses. The associations between these predictor variables and stress impacting students’ academic performance were examined by fitting univariable and mixed-effects logistic regression models. Our study found having warm and trusting relationships with others, feeling a sense of belongingness, and feeling society is a good place for all individuals significantly decreased the odds of students reporting stress impacting their academic performance. Campuses that support student mental health, institutions that provide information regarding stress reduction, and feeling safe on campus also lowered the odds of students reporting stress adversely affecting their academics. These components of social capital should be targeted at higher education institutions to cultivate social capital, alleviate the implications of stress affecting academic success, and promote interpersonal resiliency skill-building among students.

Influence of social capital in adopting climate change adaptation strategies: empirical evidence from rural areas of Ambo district in Ethiopia

ABSTRACT The impact of climate change is increasingly affecting the daily lives of poor farmer households. An understanding of the social dimension profoundly shapes the way in which policy-makers develop adaptation policies. This paper investigates the influence of components of social capital on the adoption of climate change adaptation strategies using data from rural households in Ethiopia. First, principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on the dataset of components of social capital to construct composite indicators for measuring farmers’ social capital. Second, the logit model was employed to investigate the influence of components of social capital on adopting climate change adaptation strategies. The results suggest that institutional trust positively influences climate change adaptation decisions. On the contrary, bonding social capital negatively affects the adoption decision. The following implications are worthy of consideration for improving farmers’ adoption of adaptation strategies: improving the institutions’ communication and sharing of information with farmers and investing in programmes that build links across groups in communities and up to those in authority.

The Direct and Indirect Relationships of Environmental, Interpersonal and Personal Factors with High School Students Physical Activity: An Ecological Approach.

Background: Across countries, young people are not sufficiently physically active. The evidence confirms that beyond demographic and individual agents, individuals participate within their social and physical environment. The ecological model enables a search for the modifiable factors in specific populations, as it allows consideration of factors affecting individuals’ lives on different levels, as well as considering the interplay of those factors. The aim of this study was to examine the complex interconnections among environmental, social capital and motivational factors at different levels, within an ecological model for high school students’ moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during their leisure time. Methods: This cross-sectional population-based study included 1285 students from 14 to 18 years old, with a mean age of 16.14 ± 1.22. Physical activity, neighborhood physical activity recourses, neighborhood safety, social capital, physical activity motivation and sociodemographic factors were evaluated. Logistic regression, mediation and moderation analyses were performed predicting moderate-to-vigorous physical activity during leisure time. Results: In the final multivariate logistic regression model, greater social participation (OR 1.03 [1.01–1.05]), higher relative autonomy index (OR 1.11 [1.06–1.15]) and male gender (OR 1.71 [1.13–2.57]) directly predicted meeting MVPA recommendations. Any significant moderation effects (p > 0.05) of environmental characteristics were not found for the relationship between social capital, motivational factors and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. The evidence of positive indirect mediation effects was found in all five models for social capital components as all CIs for its βs do not contain 0, though standardized effect sizes were between 0.02 and 0.07, indicating small effect sizes. Conclusion: These findings provide support for the presence of some direct and indirect pathways from social capital to moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Future intervention strategies should focus on strengthening physical activity motivation by encouraging the development of social network and social participation as well as family, neighborhood and school social capital within the framework of the ecological model.

The Perceived Impact of Social Networking Sites and Apps on the Social Capital of Saudi Postgraduate Students: A Case Study

With the increased use of Social Networking Sites and Apps (SNSAs) in Saudi Arabia, it is important to consider the impact of this on the social lives of tertiary students, who are heavy users of such technology. A mixed methods study exploring the effect of SNSAs use on the social capital of Saudi postgraduate students was conducted using a multidimensional construct of social capital, which included the components of life satisfaction, social trust, civic participation, and political engagement. Data were collected through surveys and interviews involving 313 male and 293 female postgraduate students from Umm Al-Qura University (UQU) in Makkah. Findings show that male and female participants perceived SNSAs use impacting all components of social capital at a moderate and mainly positive level. Correlational analysis demonstrated medium to large positive correlations among components of social capital. Gender differences were not evident in the life satisfaction and social trust components; however, females reported more involvement with SNSAs for the purposes of political engagement while males reported more use for civic participation, which is an interesting finding, in light of the norms and traditional culture of Saudi society.

ПРОФЕСІЙНИЙ КАПІТАЛ У ВИЩІЙ ШКОЛІ: ПОНЯТТЯ І РОЛЬ

The issue of efficient use of non-material resources both in business and education is currently generating increasing scientific interest across the globe. In this regard the article deals with the concept of professional capital and its components as the major prerequisites of ensuring high quality and efficiency of higher education. Professional capital of higher education is viewed as synthesis of intellectual, social and decisional capital of institutions of higher education which in their turn are realized through interpersonal communication, cooperation and networking, knowledge and experience of university employees, faculty, students and other higher education stakeholders, their relationships, achievements and decisions which altogether ensure the high quality and efficiency of higher education. Major components of professional capital, i.e. intellectual (including human and organizational capital), social, and decisional capital are characterized and detailed with respect to higher education. Human capital of higher education, an integral element of its intellectual capital, is analyzed and viewed at the following levels: personal (the level of an individual), microeconomic (the level of an institution), and macroeconomic (the level of higher education of a nation or the world). Social capital is primarily based on cooperation which is realized through the listed major activities within academia. Decisional capital involves making decisions in complex situations on innumerable occasions with a variety of problems and cases. Finally, the interpretation of professional capital of higher education is provided and its significance in ensuring high quality and efficiency of education is stressed as well as prospects for future research are outlined.