Different Dimensions Of Social Capital Research Articles

Analysis of Influencing Factors of Farmers’ Homestead Revitalization Intention from the Perspective of Social Capital

Revitalizing idle rural residential bases is essential for improving the utilization rate of residential resources, activating pastoral land resources assets, increasing farmers’ property income, and stimulating rural development vitality. Social capital is one of the essential social resources owned by farmers, which is closely related to rural social governance and farmers’ daily lives and plays an indispensable role in revitalizing residential land. Based on the theory of social capital and the survey data of 316 farm households in Shaanxi Province in 2022, this study first empirically analyzes the influencing factors of social capital and its constituent dimensions on farm households’ willingness to revitalize their home-steads using a Logit regression model, and then empirically analyzes the hierarchical structure relationship among the influencing factors using an ISM model. The results of the study show that: (1) Social capital and its three constituent dimensions of social network (“Contact with relatives, neighbors, and families” and “Contact with village committee staff”), social trust (“Trust in friends and relatives” and “Trust in village committee and other organizations”), and social participation (“Participation in meetings of village committees and other organizations”) have significant positive effects on farmers’ willingness to revitalize their residential land. (2) There are differences in the effects of different dimensions of social capital on farmers’ willingness to revitalize their homesteads: social trust as a deep-seated cause affects farmers’ social networks and social participation, which in turn affects farmers’ knowledge of homestead revitalization policies and ultimately farmers’ willingness to revitalize their homesteads. Based on the findings of the study, to improve farmers’ willingness to revitalize their homestead bases, government departments should base their efforts on the social capital characteristics of farmers, increase the cultivation of farmers’ social capital, and strengthen the publicity of the work of revitalizing homestead bases and related policies.

Returns to Relationships: Social Capital and Household Welfare in India

Sociological scholarship, economic theory, and empirical studies all indicate that interpersonal relationships are valuable productive assets and deserve to be formally incorporated into the study of human development. This paper employs the India Human Development Survey to examine, using OLS and logistic regressions, the impact of different dimensions of social capital on multiple proxies for household welfare. Social capital in the form of memberships in local community organizations and social network connections has a statistically and economically significant association with household consumption expenditures, physical asset ownership, and the probability of a household living in poverty. Households that are members of any formal community organization are expected to have higher monthly per capita consumption expenditures than households without any memberships. Estimates of a similar magnitude are observed when modeling a household’s stock of physical assets, a longer-term indicator of economic welfare. These indicators of social capital are also significantly associated with lower odds of a household living below the poverty line. Organizational memberships and social networks are also associated with considerably higher odds of a household assessing its own economic situation positively. Overall, social capital is a catalyst for increasing household welfare along multiple dimensions, and, therefore, a critical area of focus for economists, sociologists, development practitioners, and policymakers.

Female Healthcare Providers' Experiences of Childbearing: A Content Analysis Based on the Social Capital Theory

Introduction: Social capital has potential effects on reproductive health and childbearing behaviors. However, there is limited information about its relationship with childbearing. Objective: This study aimed to explore female healthcare providers' experiences of childbearing based on the social capital theory. Materials and Methods: This qualitative study was conducted from July 2018 to February 2019 on 15 female healthcare workers in healthcare centers in Babol City, Iran. The participants were purposively recruited with maximum variation respecting their age, work experience, educational level, and occupation. The study data were collected through 15 semi-structured interviews and analyzed using directed qualitative content analysis. Results: The participants were female healthcare providers working in hospitals or healthcare centers of the University of Medical Science. Their mean±SD age and work experience were 35±8.25 and 10±7.5 years, respectively. The extracted codes during data analysis were grouped into three predetermined main categories, namely structural social capital (social learning and conformation to social norms), cognitive social capital (social beliefs and values with three subcategories, namely religious beliefs, gender preference, and social stigma), and relational social capital (support and trust). The most critical factors affecting participants' childbearing behaviors were trust in their support systems and conformation to social norms. Conclusion: The different dimensions of social capital can affect childbearing behaviors. Therefore, social capital should be considered when designing population and reproductive health policies.

The Importance of Different Forms of Social Capital for Happiness in Europe: A Multilevel Structural Equation Model (GSEM)

This paper investigates the effects of different dimensions of social capital ​on happiness of Europeans. Unlike other studies, a categorical principal component analysis (CATPCA) is applied to obtain the dimensions of social capital. The data used come from the ninth wave of the European Social Survey (ESS), year 2018. Happiness is modelled using a multilevel structural equations model (GSEM) by country to study the role of social capital in Europeans' happiness, when controlling for the effect of factors such as gender, unemployment, age, low income, higher education, and living with a partner. Social capital is measured as a multidimensional concept composed of institutional trust, social trust, social ties and voluntary association, civility and sense of belonging, and religiosity. Among the results, we found that the five dimensions that build social capital have a positive impact on happiness. In addition to the positive effects of social capital, the control variables have the expected impact. In a context marked by growing individualism and social isolation, the results of this work can guide policy makers in using the dimensions of social capital to increase the subjective well-being of the population.

Deciphering the black box of HPWS–innovation link: Modeling the mediatory role of internal social capital

This study investigates the impact of High-Performance Work Systems (HPWS) on radical and incremental innovation in the services industry. Insights from the Social Exchange Theory (SET) and Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) Framework have been used to assess the role of social capital (SC) as a mediator between HPWS, radical innovation (RI), and incremental innovation (II). By using a simple random sampling technique, 328 responses were received from respondents in Pakistan's banking sector firms. For data analysis, structural equation modeling was applied. The results of the study show that HPWS is a significant driver of II, but not RI, in banking sector firms. Moreover, SC plays the role of mediator in the HPWS-innovation link. Outcomes of the study extend the understanding of the “black-box” (i.e., the transmission mechanism between systems of human resources(HR) practices and innovation). It also contributes to understanding HPWS, SC, II, and RI in the context of Pakistan's banking sector. This study expands on earlier research in the areas of HPWS, SC, and Innovation. It supports the view that internal SC enables RI and II. Prior studies indicated that HPWS drives innovations, yet there has been no clear explanation about the mechanism of this effect. By providing empirical evidence on the mediating role of SC, this study expands on existing literature. Empirical validation of an association between HPWS RI, and II contributes to theory by supporting the tenets of the AMO Framework. Unlike prior research that focused on short-term financial outcomes, this study used RI and II as alternate indicators of organizational performance. Our study expanded the literature into the services sector. Furthermore, we contributed to the methodology by conceptualizing HPWS as a high-order formative construct, resulting in significant model parsimony. Insights from our study are relevant to managers because it shows that HPWS implementation not only helps banks to attract, develop, and retain talent but also facilitates the development of SC, which is critical for enabling the innovation capability of the firm. Top managers need to consider internal SC in the design of HPWS because carefully designed HPWS drives SC. This enables idiosyncratic relationships among members of the organization. Thus, the firm gets a competitive advantage that is harder to be copied by competitors. First, data were collected from a single industry. It will be useful to know the effects of multiple industries in future research. Second, this study did not differentiate between different dimensions of SC, i.e., structural, cognitive, and relational. It will be interesting to see how these dimensions relate to HPWS and innovation in future research.

Effects of social capital on farmers’ choices of climate change adaptation behavior in Dazu District, China

ABSTRACT This study explores the effects of social capital on farmers’ choices of climate change adaptation behavior in Dazu District, China. A total of 228 questionnaires were obtained from randomly sampled households. Social capital was divided into social networks, participation, reciprocity and trust. The adaptation behaviors in the study area were identified as crop adjustment, environmental improvement, financial management, and livelihood diversification. A boosted regression tree model was used to analyze the effects of different dimensions of social capital on farmers’ choices of climate change adaptation behavior. The results show that most farmers in Dazu District of Chongqing have adopted crop adjustment adaptation behavior. The social capital and socioeconomic characteristics of farmers have different impacts on different adaptation behaviors. Among social capital, the largest influence on climate change adaptation behavior is the degree of trust in the information of agricultural technology extension service centers, and the lowest influence is participation in rural cooperatives. In terms of socioeconomic characteristics, the largest impact on climate change adaptation behavior is agricultural income share, and the lowest impact is gender. The findings of this study can provide empirical support for governments to formulate effective policies to improve farmers’ climate change adaptation capabilities.

Distributed IT championing: A process theory

Championing is key to the success of an IT implementation. Recently, changes in the nature of technologies used in organizational contexts and changing organizational structures call for a renewed focus on IT championing to explain its distributed nature. Following an analytic induction approach and drawing from semi-structured interviews with 37 practitioners (physicians, residents, nurses, IT staff, and administrators) in three healthcare-related settings, the study conceptualizes distributed IT championing as a process constituted of multiple individuals’ behaviors, unfolding over time, that proactively go beyond formal job requirements in support of an IT implementation. While multiple individuals may enact similar championing behaviors, the data indicate that multiple individuals may also enact distinct, yet complementary, championing behaviors over the course of the IT implementation. Overall, distributed IT championing evolves through cycles of distinct stages of bridging-in, bonding, and bridging-out, with each stage being shaped by different dimensions of social capital. Also, IT artifacts that are particularly generative appear more conducive to distributed IT championing than closed ones. This article contributes to extant literature on IT championing by developing a process model of distributed IT championing in the context of an IT implementation.

Understanding Consumers’ Purchase Intentions in Social Commerce through Social Capital: Evidence from SEM and fsQCA

Social commerce has become a fiercely competitive environment. Understanding consumers’ purchase intentions can help social commerce platforms retain and attract more consumers. Social capital is one of the primary resources that plays a critical role in facilitating consumers’ purchase intentions in social commerce. Here, complex relationships between different dimensions of social capital are further clarified and its impact on consumers’ purchase intentions are discussed. Based on a survey of 302 social commerce users, this study utilizes an SEM and fsQCA approach to validate the effect of social capital on consumers’ purchase intentions. The SEM results reveal that the effect of structural social capital on consumers’ purchase intentions is fully mediated by relational and cognitive social capital. The fsQCA results confirm the significance of consumers’ social capital as determinants and provide the configurations that can lead to high purchase intentions. Though previous studies have discussed the factors influencing consumers’ purchase intentions, this study takes the first step toward enhancing the understanding of the configurations that link dimensions of social capital to consumers’ purchase intentions in s-commerce using fsQCA approach.

Social Capital and the Career Adaptability of Refugees

AbstractThis study examines how people from refugee and asylum‐seeking backgrounds draw on their social capital to develop their career adaptability. To examine this issue, we drew on interview data from twenty‐five people based in Melbourne, Australia, who have sought asylum between 2008 and 2016. The present study examines the influence of different dimensions of social capital on individuals’ career adaptability. Findings revealed that a more nuanced understanding of linking, bridging and bonding social capital is needed when exploring the career adaptability resources of refugees and people seeking asylum. In particular, important differences were identified between engaging with a social network and trusting a social network.

Getting the best solution from a supplier – A social capital perspective

Due to the current shift towards solution provision in many industrial markets, buyers are under increasing pressure to develop sourcing strategies to procure custom solutions for their firm in order to achieve competitive advantage. The question arises as to how buyers can ensure they get the best solutions from their suppliers and whether social capital can be applied to improve solution provision processes and value creation. Existing empirical research, however, has paid only little attention to the antecedents of suppliers’ solution provision performance, i.e., their capability to diagnose buyer needs and to design and implement solutions to meet them. We tested how social capital dimensions (relational, cognitive, and structural) relate to solution provision. The study uses empirical data obtained from a survey of 475 suppliers representing both manufacturing and service industries. Partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modeling (SEM) and polynomial regression were used to analyze the data. The results demonstrate that the availability of social capital in a buyer-supplier relationship is a relevant antecedent to successful solution provision activities. However, the different dimensions of social capital are found to compensate for each other to some extent. Our study further demonstrates that solution provision is not a monolithic activity but can better be understood as a multi-phase process (diagnosis, solution design, and implementation). Different aspects of social capital may have a different impact depending on the phase of solution provision. The successful diagnosis of buyer needs mediates the effect of social capital on solution design and implementation. It is also found that production characteristics of a buyer and the type of a supplier solution affect the role of social capital in solution provision process.

Coordination in the agri-food sector: The role of social capital and remoteness in the emergence of Italian network contracts

The organization of the agri-food sector is dominated by hybrid forms of interaction among independent firms. To explain the participation in this form of arrangements, the bulk of the literature has focused on firm-level characteristics. In this paper, we assess the role that the territorial dimension, in terms of social capital and geographical remoteness, plays in the explaining Italian firms’ participation to Network Contracts (NC). NC have been institutionalized in Italy in 2009 to provide a legal framework for the formation of a wide range of hybrids, encompassing both vertical and horizontal coordination. Data on the population of NCs are aggregated at the municipality level and analyzed through a zero-hurdle model, that properly addresses skewed data with many zeros and admits different underlying processes to explain the zero values. Results show that the territorial dimension plays a major role in explaining the participation to NCs. Proxied through a synthetic indicator, the social capital is strongly significant and negatively related to the number of NC members at the municipality level. However, such a relation proves to be more complicated when different dimensions of social capital are taken into account and when trying to disentangle its effect on horizontal and vertical NC. With respect to geography, remoteness seems to hinder the formation of NCs, as the more peripheral a given municipality, the lower the number of participants. NCs seems to be a legal framework that is able to overcome the constraint to coordination set by the lack of social capital, but it does not show to overcome the problem related to remoteness.

The effects of social capital on farmers’ wellbeing in China’s undeveloped poverty-stricken areas

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate empirically the effects of different dimensions of social capital on the well-being of farmers in China’s undeveloped poverty-stricken areas, and study the equivalent multiple of social capital and income compensation.Design/methodology/approachThe paper opted for an exploratory study using the open-ended approach of grounded theory, including 1,176 interviews with rural households in poverty-stricken areas in China. The data were complemented by documentary analysis. Then an econometric model of social capital and farmers’ well-being was applied to the data.FindingsThe results show that the number frequently visiting relatives, reciprocity, participation and trust level are significantly positively related to the well-being of the farmers, and the level of participation in social capital requires the most income compensation, while the level of trust comes second.Originality/valueThis paper can serve as a template for developing a useful tool that can be fitted to national or regional data for studying the effects of social capital on the well-being of farmers in poor areas or countries and for calculating the concrete equivalent multiple of social capital and income compensation.

The interplay of cognitive and relational social capital dimensions in university-industry collaboration: Overcoming the experience barrier

The use of university-industry collaboration in the innovation process is viewed as a major driver of firm competitiveness. The organizational dynamics underlying successful external relationships, however, remain poorly understood. Using longitudinal case studies of 15 innovation projects, we examine how firms with varying degrees of experience in collaborating with universities and public research organizations rely on different social capital dimensions to achieve successful collaborations. We find that experienced firms establish external collaborations on the basis of cognitive social capital, but this basis is reinforced by relational social capital over time. Conversely, less experienced firms initially base their university collaborations on relational social capital, which is reinforced by cognitive social capital over time. Based on these findings, we theorize on the interplay of different dimensions of social capital in university-industry collaborations over time. Our study has important implications for the management of collaborative innovation projects. In particular, it provides guidance to enable less experienced firms to develop successful collaborations with university partners.

The impact of social capital on clinical risk management in nursing: a survey in Iranian public educational hospitals.

AimThis study aimed to explore the social capital impact on clinical risk management from nurses’ viewpoints.DesignThis was a cross‐sectional and analytical study conduct in six public educational hospitals affiliated to Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS).MethodQuestionnaires were used as the data collection tool. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, parametric and non‐parametric tests by SPSS 16 at a significance level of 0.05.ResultsRisk management, social capital and all its three dimensions evaluated in moderate level. It is confirmed that the social capital is one of the factors associated with the improvement of clinical risk management. There was a significant relationship between clinical risk management and social capital. In this respect, hospital managers and decision‐makers could enhance clinical risk management by identifying and increasing different dimensions of social capital which consequently led to have a better patient safety culture in hospitals.

Effect of Social Capital on Mitigating Transaction Uncertainty of Small Enterprises in Sri Lanka

Small Enterprises (SEs) do not have capacity to collect and evaluate information to predict future behavior of business environment on one hand and they fail to avoid the hazards from opportunism of exchange partners on the other hand due to the lack of information. SEs develop informal and personal relationships with different members of the network expecting supports in order to overcome their limitation of information. The network relationships lead to build Social Capital (SC) (values of social relationships; i.e. inter-personal trusts, relational norms, flexibility, integrity, common understand etc.) and thereby facilitate access to information which have an influence on mitigating Transaction Uncertainty (TU). Therefore, the study attempted to explore how different dimensions of SC affect the mitigation of TU of SEs in Sri Lanka. The study mainly employed the survey method to gather data using quantitative methodological approach. The data were collected from 373 SEs located in nine districts representing all Provinces in Sri Lanka, conducting face-to-face interviews with the respondents. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling. The results revealed that different dimensions of SC (structural, relational and cognitive) have a significant impact on mitigating TU of SEs in Sri Lanka. Thus, the study has provided sufficient evidences to conclude that SC has a significant impact on mitigating TU of SEs. The study contributes to theoretical knowledge by synthesizing all the dimensions of SC and TU into a new framework and testing it empirically which extends the transaction cost economics in the context of SEs in Sri Lanka. The study contributes to the methodology quantifying SC of SEs using a multi-dimensional conceptual model. The study provides important insights for policy makers to focus their strategies to new direction rather than conventional supporting approaches to develop SEs.

Effect of Information Access through Social Capital on Mitigating Business Opportunism of Small Enterprises in Sri Lanka

The study explored how information access through different dimensions of Social Capital (SC) (structural, relational and cognitive) affects the mitigation of business opportunism. Data were collected from 373 Small Enterprises (SEs) in Sri Lanka, conducting face-to-face interviews with the owners of SEs. Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyse data. The results revealed that information accessed through different dimensions of SC have significant negative effects with business opportunism of exchange partners. Therefore, the study recommends SEs to develop SC while having strong relationships with exchange partners in order to access information leading to the mitigation of opportunism of exchange partners.

Social capital and health in China: exploring the mediating role of lifestyle

BackgroundAlthough social capital as a key determinant of health has been well established in various studies, little is known about how lifestyle factors mediate this relationship. Understanding the cross-relationships between social capital, health, and lifestyle factors is important if health promotion policies are to be effective. The purpose of this study is to explore whether different dimensions of social capital and lifestyle factors are related, and whether lifestyle factors mediate the association between social capital and self-rated health (SRH) and psychological well-being (PWB) in China.MethodsThis study used nationally representative data from the 2014 China Family Panel Studies (n = 28,916). The data reported on three dimensions of individual-level social capital: social trust, social relationship and Chinese Communist Party (CCP) membership. Health was assessed using SRH and PWB. Five lifestyle indicators were recorded: healthy diet, physical activity, smoking, sleeping, and non-overweight status. Logistic regression was used to examine the associations between social capital and lifestyle factors, and whether there was a mediating role of lifestyle. Odds ratios relating health status to social capital were reported before and after adjustment for lifestyle factors. Mediation analysis was then used to calculate the total, direct and indirect effects of social capital on SRH and PWB.ResultsThe results show that social trust was significantly associated with all five lifestyle factors. Social relationship was significantly associated with four of the five: healthy diet, physical activity, sleeping and non-overweight. CCP membership was only significantly associated with two lifestyle factors: physical activity and non-overweight. Social trust and social relationship were significantly related to both SRH and PWB. CCP membership was only significantly related to SRH. Mediation analysis found modest evidence that lifestyle factors influenced the relationship between all three types of social capital and SRH. In contrast, only social trust and social relationship, but not CCP membership, were mediated by lifestyle factors with respect to PWB.ConclusionsThis study is the first to explore the mediating role of lifestyle factors in the relationship between social capital and health in China. The overall findings suggest that lifestyle factors modestly mediate the association between social capital and health. The degree of mediating effect varies across different dimensions of social capital. Social capital-based health promotion policies would benefit from taking lifestyle factors into account.

Modeling knowledge sharing among high-tech professionals in culturally diverse firms: mediating mechanisms of social capital

Drawing upon social capital theory, this research postulates cultural intelligence as a key driver of knowledge sharing through the mediation of social capital among employees from culturally diverse organizations. An empirical testing of the proposed model, by investigating Taiwanese professionals from high-tech foreign companies in Taiwan, reveals the applicability of social capital theory in understanding the relationship between cultural intelligence and knowledge sharing. The study’s test results show that cultural intelligence indirectly influences knowledge sharing through different dimensions of social capital. This research further provides managerial implications and limitations.

Impact of Information Accessed Through Social Capital on Rational Ability of Owner Manager Small Enterprises in Sri Lanka

The study explored how information accessed through Social Capital (SC) affect the improvement of rational ability of Owner Manager Small Enterprises (OMSEs) in Sri Lanka. Data were collected from 373 Small Enterprises (SEs) located all the Provinces in Sri Lanka, conducting face to face interviews with respondents. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling. The results provided sufficient evidences to conclude that information access through different dimensions of SC (structural, relational and cognitive) have significant positive effects on the improvement of rational ability of OMSEs in Sri Lanka. The empirical results expand the understanding the relative efficacy of SC and rational ability in the context of SEs in a less develop country and deliver an alternative insights for policy makers to develop SEs by creating a conducive environment for strengthening SC of SEs in order to access more information.

Individual and neighbourhood social capital and all-cause mortality in Brazilian adults: a prospective multilevel study

ObjectiveThe relationship between social capital and mortality is not clear-cut. There have been few longitudinal studies investigating this association so far. The objective was to assess the effect of different dimensions of social capital on mortality among adults of a Brazilian city. Study designThis is a prospective multilevel study. Baseline data were obtained from a population-based random sample of 846 adults (aged 18 years or more) residing in 38 neighbourhoods (census blocks). MethodsParticipants were interviewed in 2006–7 and their vital status investigated in 2013. Social capital was assessed by five scales (social cohesion, informal social control, neighbours' support, social action and political efficacy). The outcome was all-cause mortality. Data analysis used multilevel logistic regression models. ResultsAt the individual level social cohesion was positively related to mortality in the unadjusted model but this association lost significance after adjustment for other variables in multivariable models. At the neighbourhood level, high mortality rates were associated with low social action independently of demographic, socio-economic, behavioural and health-related variables. ConclusionWe found more evidence for a contextual than individual level effect of social capital on mortality.