Stock Of Social Capital Research Articles

Role of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investment and natural capital stocks in achieving net-zero carbon emission

This study investigates the role of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investment and natural capital stocks in achieving net-zero carbon emissions, focusing on the Chinese economy. This study uses the data from 2013 to 2022 and applies correlation analysis, quantile process estimation, quantile-factor augmented vector autoregressive, quantile dimension regression, and robustness analysis techniques. The results confirmed that ESG investment has a significant role in net-zero carbon emission and fosters natural capital stocks in the Chinese ecosystem. The results further established that natural capital stocks significantly benefit the Chinese ecosystem and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, CO2 emission – gaseous fuel, CO2 emission – solid fuel, and carbon intensity. Moreover, natural capital stocks have a significant role in achieving net-zero carbon emissions and it accelerates gross tree cover and green agricultural yield. The study is of great interest to corporations, Chinese banks, and the government in planning and achieving net-zero carbon emissions as per Prudential Financial regulation and accounting reporting systems. Achieving net-zero carbon emission is a process-based approach; therefore, the study recommends that policymakers customize investment mechanisms and natural capital accounting standards as per the territorial requirements and execute an ecological control system to make it sustainable.

Revealing the enhancement effect of social capital on the individual performance of core members in elderly caring organizations: A study from Anhui, China.

Aging is a challenge to global development. This challenge is particularly significant for China because it has the largest elderly population worldwide. The proportion of aging population continues to increase, and solely relying on government efforts to meet the needs of the elderly is inadequate. Hence, involvement of social organizations in elderly care services is needed. Their core members exhibit higher sense of responsibility and identification with the organization than regular members, thus profoundly affecting organizational development. Based on the Social Capital Theory, this study employed a multistage stratified random sampling method to examine the social capital stock of elderly social organizations and their core members across six cities in Anhui Province, China. Chi-square tests analyzed the relationship between the core members' demographic factors and individual performance. Independent-sample t-tests assessed the relationship between social capital and individual performance. Finally, binary logistic regression models determined the factors influencing the individual performance of core members. Social networks within core members' social capital and the internal social capital of elderly caring social organizations (ESOs) affect the individual performance of core members. Therefore, organizations should provide more training opportunities for core members to expand their networks. Cultivating a shared language and vision as components of social capital can enhance organizational cohesion and operational stability.

Research on the relationship between social capital and sustainable livelihood: evidences from reservoir migrants in the G Autonomous Prefecture, China

Although hydropower serves as a clean alternative energy source, the global challenge of resettlement due to dam construction underscores the importance of sustainable livelihoods in achieving the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In recent years, the sustainable livelihood theory has offered a new perspective for examine the development of livelihoods of reservoir migrants after relocation. However, in-depth relationship between social capital and sustainable livelihoods has not been explored. In this study, three hydropower resettlement areas were selected in the G Autonomous Prefecture of China as an example. Our investigation delved into the influence of social networks, social norms, and social trust on the livelihoods of reservoir migrants. Study employed semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and qualitative analysis to explore this impact. The results show that the traditional social capital stock of reservoir migrants, dominated by family, neighborhood and religious networks, has declined. Therefore, the structural function of modern social capital should be strengthened by increasing the social trust of reservoir migrants in institutions and civil society organizations. The contribution of livelihood diversification in poverty reduction by 2030 (SDG-1) was realized by focusing on the role of social capital to promote infrastructure, improve living conditions and increase employment opportunities for migrants. The findings further point to the need to fully respect the customs and lifestyles of ethnic minorities during the resettlement process of reservoir migrants in order to preserve the role played by their traditional social capital, thereby promoting the sustainable development of the livelihoods of reservoir migrants.

Social capital as a factor of innovative development

The article is devoted to the study of the influence of social capital on the ability of countries to produce innovations. The analysis of the achievements of economic science in the field of studying social capital and innovation revealed the ambiguity of views on the relationship between these categories, as well as wide discussions about the influence of the stock of social capital on the nature of economic growth. The authors associated the existing difficulties of the research process with insufficient attention of scientists to different levels and forms of manifestation of social capital, which have different potential in promoting innovation. On the basis of the methodological approach, in which individualistic and holistic ideas about economic activity are combined in the framework of institutional theory, the decomposition of public social capital into its individual and organizational levels and corresponding functional forms is carried out. On this basis, the nature of their interaction and role in the innovation process is shown. In order to quantify social capital in view of its ability to promote innovation, an integral indicator "Index of Innovative Social Capital" was constructed as a combination of three key components: close cooperation between the university and R&D, Information & communication technologies, and social capital itself. In a sample of 26 countries of different levels of development, a strong two-way direct relationship with an average degree of significance was found between the "Index of Innovative Social Capital" and GDP per capita. The presence of such dependence serves as another explanation for the unevenness of innovative development in the world, and therefore, opens up guidelines for poor countries to increase their innovative potential in view of social and institutional factors.

Evaluating the effects of social capital on travel behavior: Modeling the choice of an innovative transport mode

This paper aims to evaluate the effects of social capital on the willingness to use a new cable car service in Bogotá (Colombia) that connects the Bus Rapid Transit system with a vulnerable zone with low accessibility. We estimated a hybrid discrete choice model for the new cable car service considering social capital as a latent variable and a stated preference survey issued before the cable car implementation. Social capital is measured through six domains associated with membership of civic groups, social networks, interpersonal trust, institutional trust, cooperation, and empowerment. Results suggest that the social capital stock in the influence zone of the cable car depends principally on age, sex, education level, and time living in the neighborhood. Results also show that higher social capital stocks are associated with a greater willingness to use the new cable car service, suggesting that social capital is a potential determinant for mode choice. Finally, we discuss implications for social capital and policymaking.

Bonding, bridging and linking social capital combinations for food access; A gendered case study exploring temporal differences in southern Malawi

In 2018–2020, 82% of Malawian's were classed as moderately or severely food insecure. For decades, Malawian's have used their social capital as a coping mechanism to access food in times of need. Yet social capital has started to decline in other sub-Saharan African countries, questioning the usefulness of social capital to alleviate hunger. Food security status and a person's stock of social capital are also dependent on gender. Yet there is limited research that considers gender when exploring how social capital is used to access food. The study aimed to understand the link between social capital and food security, how this varies between men and women, and if social capital use to access food has changed over time. To improve the understanding of how social capital is used to improve food security, qualitative data collection was undertaken in three districts in the Southern Region of Malawi. Rapid rural appraisal methods, including focus group discussions, seasonal calendars and ranking exercises, were used to meet the aims of the study.We found that social capital can be used to alleviate hunger during periods of food insecurity. However, a lack of resources, weather variability, key community group disintegration and a reduction in active NGOs has resulted in changes in social capital and it could not be used as frequently as in the past to access food. This highlighted the importance of considering bonding, bridging and linking social capital separately in research as they are interlinked. The study found men and women have different types of social capital, with women being most active in village savings and loans groups, which were the most important group to improve access to food. Meanwhile, men can utilise their social capital from outside of the village to access food, something women could not do due to their restricted mobility. The changes to social capital use for food access that were uncovered in this study, as well as gender difference, are noteworthy given the increase in food insecurity in Malawi, and globally.

Social Capital and Conflict in the Post-Suharto Regime in Indonesia

This study explores the relationship between social capital and conflict in the post Suharto regime in Indonesia. We employed a combination of cross-section datasets from the Social and Cultural Module of the 2009 National Socio- Economic Survey (SUSENAS) and the media-based conflict data from National Violence Monitoring System (NVMS) of 2010–2014 in Indonesia. Using Binomial Negative Regression, our empirical analysis shows that the past social capital stocks negatively correlate with future conflict intensity. This pattern applies to most conflict types. This result indicates that the social capital stock in 2009 is more likely to be the starting point determining the conflict vulnerability in the subsequent period. Furthermore, the evaluation of the components of social capital reveals that the most crucial type of social capital is trust in neighbors, the government, and local officials. The district with high trust is less prone to conflict.

Diagnosis of Rural Development Processes Based on the Stock of Social Capital and Social Networks: Approach from E-I Index

Europe’s rural areas have suffered a continuous loss of human and economic capital from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. In an attempt to alleviate the effects of this dynamic, the European Union has implemented the LEADER rural development programme since the 1990s (Liaisons Entre Actions de Développement de L’Economie Rurale). Among the many objectives of this policy, the social articulation of its populations stood out as a way of strengthening development processes. This article aims to provide a methodological approach to analyse and quantify the stock of social capital (SC) present in the social networks of rural areas after more than thirty years of European rural policy. Based on 160 interviews with stakeholders linked to rural development processes in rural areas of Spain and England from institutional, economic, social and technical sectors. The methodological approach of Social Network Analysis (SNA) has been used, and within this, the study of SNA indicators and the analysis of the E-I index have been integrated in order to analyse the stock of internal (bonding) and external (bridging) SC. The conclusions of this study clarify the role of stakeholders and their contribution to the stock of SC. The studied rural areas present a balance in internal and external relations, which shows a high stock of SC and an encouraging scenario for the development processes and, thus, for the success of the LEADER programme. Nevertheless, the participation of the actors in the LEADER programme in Spain still shows a worrying project class.

Second Wind: Understanding How Academics from the Philippines Adjust to Retirement

Second Wind: Understanding How Academics from the Philippines Adjust to Retirement

The Influence of Social Capital: A Trigger for Increasing Job Satisfaction.

Evidence suggests that social capital in medical and health institutions is associated with the job satisfaction of medical staff. We examined the relationship between the social capital of Primary Healthcare Institutions (PHI) and the job satisfaction of pharmacists within it. From August 24 to September 1, 2021, we visited a total of 253 PHIs in 31 provinces of China. The social capital of healthcare organizations reported by employees (SOCAPO-E) scale was used to measure the social capital level of PHIs. And the Minnesota short-form job satisfaction scale was used to obtain pharmacists' job satisfaction. We employed multiple linear regression to explore the relationship between the social capital of PHI and pharmacists' job satisfaction. We also examined the effects of pharmacists' individual characteristics and job-related factors on pharmacists' job satisfaction. It was statistically significant that the higher the social capital stock of PHI, the higher the job satisfaction level of pharmacists becomes. In addition, the regression analysis revealed that work hours, employment form, license acquired condition, disputes with patients and training frequency were significantly associated with the job satisfaction of pharmacists in PHI. Social capital in PHI has a significant impact on pharmacists' job satisfaction, suggesting that investing in social capital in PHI is a valuable investment in China. Furthermore, trust, which can be divided into affective trust and cognitive trust, and reciprocity are vital to the fulfillment of pharmacists' job satisfaction as core elements of social capital.

Institutional Change, Growth, and Poverty Levels in Pakistan (The Presidential Address)

It is now well-recognised that institutions matter in the growth process both directly and indirectly. Well-functioning institutions lead to higher investment levels, better policies, increase in social capital stock of a community, and better management of ethnic diversity and conflicts [see for example North (1990, 1994); Jutting (2003); Rodrik, et al. (2002); Dollar and Kray (2002); World Bank (2002); Aron (2000); Chu (2001) and Frischtak (1995)]. That the decay of institutions has led to poor governance—and the urgent need for improved governance in Pakistan particularly—has been well-documented in DRI/McGraw-Hill (1998); Pakistan (1999) and Hassan (2002). Transparent, participatory, and efficient working of institutions ensures correct priorities and appropriate policies; their effective and efficient implementation results in high growth, better income distribution, and alleviation of poverty. Institutional development has been very slow in Pakistan, and more often than not these have been abused by the èlite to extract rent [Hussain (1999)]. Over the last three decades, and especially in the 1990s, even the institutions that existed have degenerated. Poor governance resulting from the mal-functioning of institutions has denied the poor any participation in the decision-making process, and they have failed to derive any benefit from the rising levels of per capita incomes.1 The rising poverty in turn has led to further decay of institutions and the poor are caught in the vicious circle [see Hassan (2002)].

Examining the Complex (Curvilinear and Contingent) Associations between Social Distancing Compliance and Subjective Health during a Global Health Crisis

This study investigated a potential curvilinear link between social distancing behavior and subjective health in later life. It also evaluated whether food insecurity and community social capital moderated the focal relationship. Data were drawn from three waves of the COVID Impact Survey (N = 19,234). Mixed-effects models were fitted. Social distancing has a non-monotonic (U-shaped) relationship with subjective health, i.e., individuals with low and high levels of social distancing show relatively better health. Moreover, the negative linear relationship between social distancing and health is weaker among people suffering from food insecurity as well as those living in communities with lower stocks of social capital. This study sheds new light on the health implications of social distancing during the pandemic. Our findings dovetail with the steeling hypothesis, i.e., that social distancing is less harmful for U.S. older adults exposed to prior stressful or vulnerable conditions.

Creating the Conditions for Intergenerational Justice: Social Capital and Compliance

Creating the Conditions for Intergenerational Justice: Social Capital and Compliance

The Influence of the Peer Effect on Farmers’ Agricultural Insurance Decision: Evidence from the Survey Data of the Karst Region in China

Low insurance participation rate and low willingness to insure among farmers have always been major problems in the sustainable development of agricultural insurance in China. This paper attempts to examine the peer effect on farmers’ agricultural insurance buying decisions and explore its mechanism. We have established an IVprobit model, using the survey data of 9452 farmers in the karst regions in China. The empirical results show that: (1) Peer effect has a significant influence on farmers’ participation in agricultural insurance. A 10% increase in farmers’ neighbors’ participation in agricultural insurance increases the likelihood of farmers’ participation by 3.25%. (2) Peer effect promotes farmers’ participation by enhancing farmers’ risk perception and insurance cognition. (3) Peer effect is asymmetrical: male and larger-scale farmers have more significant effects on their peers and probably lead the participation in agricultural insurance. The results of the study have the following policy implications: (1) Increasing policy publicity and enforcing policy advocacy would magnify the positive impact of peer effect. (2) Increasing the participation rate of male and larger-scale farmers by policy interventions, which would give full play and a positive demonstration effect of specific groups. (3) Innovating insurance publicity methods to enhance farmers’ risk awareness and insurance cognition. (4) More concentration should be focused on the primary-level governance in rural China. We should advance the stock of rural social capital on all fronts to leverage the role of peer effect within rural areas.

Non-Economic Motivations behind International Student Mobility

International Student Mobility (ISM) has received a lot of attention in the literature on international migration. However, most of the studies assume that investment in skills and knowledge by international students is guided by economic motivations only. Importantly, with an increase in the proportion of international student mobility in total mobility, the students’ motivations have become more complex. Different theoretical approaches across disciplines have been logically extended to study the mobility motivations of international students. Most of the existing approaches do not emphasise the non-economic aspects of motivation and thus, do not provide a holistic understanding of ISM. This paper proposes an augmented human capital framework that incorporates the non-economic motivations of international students through the inclusion of psychic gains and the acquired stocks of personal and social capital.

Does sound lending infrastructure foster better financial reporting quality of SMEs?

Using an unbalanced panel dataset that contains financial information of 46,340 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across 11 European countries over 2007–2015, this study examines the impacts of soundness of institutional factors on SME financial reporting quality as (inversely) reflected by the degree of earnings management. We consider a comprehensive framework of country-level lending infrastructure proxies which includes information, legal, social and regulatory environments and show that SME financial reporting quality is better in economies where there is greater availability, depth and quality of credit information sharing between lenders and credit reporting service providers, as empirically shown by a lower level of earnings management. We also show that a well-established legal system, i.e. better judicial and bankruptcy protection systems, is effective in restraining SME earnings management incentives and, earnings management is less prevalent in economies that are subject to a higher stock of social capital which increases SME borrowing capacity. Furthermore, we find that the stringent tax and regulatory systems can foster better financial reporting quality, as earnings management may be less effective. Overall, our robust findings suggest that the soundness of country-level lending infrastructure plays a vital role in improving SME financial reporting quality.

Economic precarity and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: findings from the census household pulse survey (2020–2021)

The coronavirus pandemic has had devastating mental health consequences across the world. Among others, economic uncertainty created by job loss due to the pandemic has been a main culprit. This study examines the deleterious effect of losing a job personally or living with a family member who did on mental health among American adults. We also examine whether this link varies across two measures of vulnerability at the individual level (low household income and ethnic minority status). We further run cross-level interaction models between job loss and two contextual moderators (COVID-19 cases and community social capital). Based on multilevel analysis of Census House Pulse Survey consisting of U.S. probability samples collected over a 10-month period between April 2020 and February 2021, we find strong support for the positive relationship between job loss and mental distress, which is more pronounced among Americans with lower household income. This relationship also increases in regions with higher average coronavirus infections but decreases in places with higher stock of social capital.

From strong leadership to active community engagement: Effective resistance to illegal coca crops in Afro-Colombian collective territories.

In this paper, we study whether leadership and community organisation can explain differences in the presence and expansion of coca crops in rural Afro-Colombian collective territories. Following a mixed-method approach that combines the analysis of satellite imagery, semi-structured interviews and household surveys, our results suggest that leadership and community organisation help explain differences in the presence of illegal coca crops by activating pre-existing 'stocks' of social capital that enable rural Afro-Colombian communities in the country's southern Pacific region to resist the penetration and/or expansion of illegal coca crops. Results also show that resistance is more effective when the interests and strategies of leadership and communities are aligned. We argue that the effectiveness and sustainability of resistance depend on: (a) the stock of social capital that determines organisational capabilities, (b) the specific normative content with which this capital is infused, (c) the legitimacy and influence of leadership on the community, and (d) synergies among different levels of grass-root community organisation. We conclude that investing in social capital and community capabilities is thus one way to reorient policy interventions, a goal to which the Colombian state can only partially contribute given its policy priorities and structural limitations.

Does social capital enforce social distancing? The role of bridging and bonding social capital in the evolution of the pandemic.

By shaping the way people look at members of their networks as well as strangers, social capital affects the behavior of a population during a pandemic. Over the course of 2020, various countries implemented non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI), imposing restrictions that were difficult to enforce (due to the scale of the policies) in order to protect the public from the threat of COVID-19. This is an interesting quasi-experimental setting in which to test the compliance of populations with different levels of social capital with government suggestions and prescriptions. With the help of European Social Survey data, and the John Hopkins University dataset on the spread of COVID-19 around the world, the present work aims to test the impact within a sample of European countries with different social capital stocks on the spread of coronavirus. The results show that countries with higher social capital have fewer COVID-19 cases, ceteris paribus for NPI. This is especially true if this capital is of the bonding kind.

ДРУШТВЕНИ КАПИТАЛ У ФУНКЦИЈИ УНАПРЕЂЕЊА РЕГИОНАЛНОГ РАЗВОЈА

Regional development strategies should be based on the sound assessment of regional resources, capabilities, competences and core competences, as well as on dynamic capabilities aiming to develop the resource configurations in order to form their regional competitive advantage. Therefore, new regionalism is basically a bottom-up process, because the prerequisites for its successful implementation are the leadership and vision of local actors and administrations, civic participation, the growth of social capital and administrative decentralization and devolution of power. In that sense, the paper deals with important issues regarding the intangible determinants of regional economic development. The research method that will be dominantly used in this paper is the case-study method which aims to fully and thoroughly reconstruct the presence and role of social capital (primarily its structural dimension - social network platforms) in the regional development of world-famous and successful regions such as Silicon Valley, Baden-Wurttemberg and Emilia-Romagna. The overall conclusion of the paper is that regional growth is a function of the social capital stocks of respective regions to a significant extent. Social capital is positively linked to regional development and economic prosperity by reducing transaction costs, articulating collective actions, encouraging innovation and technology dissemination, discouraging opportunism and increasing monetary and non-monetary cost of fraud.