Workplace Social Capital Research Articles

Associations between workplace social capital, well-being, and work engagement in medical residents: a multicenter cross-sectional study

BackgroundWorkplace social capital (WSC), a social resource available within work or occupational environments, has been identified as an important factor for employees’ health in fields other than medical education. However, little is known about whether WSC is associated with well-being and work engagement among medical residents. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between WSC, well-being, and work engagement specifically among medical residents.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted at 32 hospitals in Japan, assessing WSC with the Japanese medical resident version of the Workplace Social Capital (JMR-WSC) scale. Well-being and work engagement were measured as the primary and secondary outcomes using the Subjective Well-Being Scale and the Japanese version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale.ResultsWe analyzed data from 276 residents. Adjusting for possible confounders, the JMR-WSC Scale scores were associated with well-being in a dose-dependent manner (adjusted mean difference 6.55, 95% CI 4.96–8.15 for the WSC highest score quartile, compared with the lowest score quartile). The WSC Scale scores demonstrated a dose-dependent association with work engagement (adjusted mean difference 15.12, 95% CI 11.66–18.57 for the WSC highest score quartile, compared with the lowest score quartile).ConclusionsThis study showed that WSC was linked to enhanced well-being and work engagement among residents. Our findings offer insights for developing interventions to prevent resident burnout and create an environment conducive to residents’ well-being and engagement.

The Relationship between Smart Working and Workplace Social Capital: An Italian Case Study on Work Sustainability

The post-pandemic era is characterized by the diffusion of smart working. A review of the scientific literature reveals studies that deepen the understanding of how smart working is linked to people’s well-being. Meanwhile, the literature refers to social capital within organizations as working social capital (WSC) and highlights its different dimensions, which have repercussions on both individual and organizational levels. The present study aims to investigate the relationship between these two constructs. The chosen methodology is a case study of an Italian company (“the Company”). The case study methodology does not aim to generalize results, but rather to provide a detailed and in-depth analysis of a specific context and process. The tool used is a semi-structured interview with all 13 members of the Company. The interviews were examined via thematic analysis. Data analysis was conducted using the software NVivo and both a top-down process from theoretical references and a bottom-up process following the IPA technique. Several themes emerged. The main benefits include flexible work schedules and locations, increased autonomy and comfort, work–life balance, well-being, higher productivity, and efficiency. On the other hand, the main difficulties include social isolation, lack of human contact, increased stress, overwork, the absence of fruitful informal relationships, and the uneasy inclusion of juniors. The impact of these changes on the workplace social capital of the Company is related, in both positive and negative ways, to the bonds between colleagues and clients, employees’ sense of belonging to the Company, new employee engagement, and the need for casual informal relations. From the interviews also emerged how smart working is closely linked to environmental sustainability (reduced pollution) and governance (reduced costs of commuting and workspaces). Introducing the relationship between smart working and WSC broadens the perspective to include social sustainability (physical and mental health, well-being and quality of life) as well. The challenge awaiting companies around the world is to establish a balance between smart working and protecting the dimensions of social capital.

Impact of Collaborative Leadership, Workplace Social Capital, and Interprofessional Collaboration Practice on Patient Safety Climate.

Patient safety climate is an important factor in promoting patient safety for healthcare organizations. This study investigated the relationship between collaborative leadership and patient safety climate, the mediation effect of workplace social capital, or interprofessional collaboration practice. A web-based cross-sectional questionnaire survey was administered between May 2021 and May 2022, to employees of three acute care hospitals in Japan. The relationship between variables was verified by structural equation modeling. A total of 1,276 staff members participated in the study. Collaborative leadership affected the workplace social capital (β = .734) and interprofessional collaboration (β = .561), which were positively associated with patient safety climate (β = .403 and .405, respectively), verifying the mediating relationship of workplace social capital and interprofessional collaboration between collaborative leadership and patient safety climate. Collaborative leadership enhances the reciprocity and interprofessional practices of the healthcare team. The interaction among interprofessional team members fosters a patient safety climate. The results of this survey suggest that the development of collaborative leadership, which encourages interprofessional collaboration and fosters workplace social capital, is inherently crucial for cultivating a patient safety climate.

EFFECT OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT ON WORK ENGAGEMENT USING WORKPLACE SOCIAL CAPITAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT AS MODERATION AND MEDIATION

Career development prioritizes the establishment and improvement of individual skills and talents, as well as a sense of self-actualization for the exploration of present and future potential. Although this phenomenon is a method to promote work engagement, people still mostly approach companies that are unable and unwilling to provide them with the opportunity to grow and develop. This shows that the absence of career development support promotes employees’ disengagement, as well as affects their team and the entire company. Therefore, this study aimed to propose a social exchange theory in establishing the effects of career development support on work engagement, using organizational commitment and workplace social capital as mediation and moderation, respectively. It was conducted at the Bank Muamalat Indonesia in Jakarta, using Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Model. The results showed that career development support was able to increase work engagement and strengthen the relationship between employees and the company through organizational commitment. In this case, the higher tendency for employees to want, need, and feel obligated to stay in the company subsequently promoted vigour, dedication, and absorption, regarding increased work engagement characteristics. Organizational commitment was also able to partially mediate the relationship between career development support and work engagement. Meanwhile, workplace social capital was unable to increase work engagement, although strengthened its relationship with career development support.

Workplace Social Capital in the Development and Implementation of a Senior Policy

Senior policies have been introduced by many Danish companies with the intention of retaining senior employees, but implementation can be challenging and may create tension at the workplace.This study aims to explore how social capital at the workplace may support or counteract the development and implementation of senior policies. A qualitative case study approach was used to collect and analyze interview data from managers, union- and H&S representatives, and senior employees at eightheen workplaces.The analysis reveals that successful development and implementation of a senior policy rely on legitimacy, transparency, and involvement of relevant parties in the process, as well as a good fit between the policy and the companies’ structure for collaboration. Workplace social capital is discussed as a supporting factor for senior employee retention, and a reciprocal positive relationship between implementing senior policies and procedures and the social capital of the workplace is suggested.

Nurses’ Workplace Social Capital and Sustainable Development: An Integrative Review of Empirical Studies

Aim. The purpose of our review was to assess the role of nurses’ workplace social capital in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (UN). Background. In 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with 17 universal goals was adopted by members of the UN. Although nurses have been acknowledged as important contributors to sustainable development, they still have difficulties in connecting their work to the SDGs. Nurses’ workplace social capital is an important concept in nursing management due to its constructive consequences. However, the potential association between nurses’ workplace social capital and the SDGs has not been evaluated. Evaluation. We conducted an integrative review, following the methodology of Whittemore and Knafl. Seven databases, Medline, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, PsycINFO, and Scopus with no restriction on publication year, were searched in May 2023 to identify statistically significant empirical evidence. Only peer‐reviewed research papers published in English language journals were considered. We applied the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool to evaluate the quality of the selected articles. We categorized outcomes of nurses’ workplace social capital into themes and connected them to the SDGs through repeated comparisons and discussions. Key Issues. Twenty‐nine of 2,188 retrieved articles were included in the final data analysis. Twenty‐three outcomes of nurses’ workplace social capital were identified, and three themes were abstracted. Nurses’ workplace social capital is positively associated with SDG 3 (good health and well‐being), SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth), and SDG 17 (partnerships for the goals). Conclusion. Findings of our integrative review shed light on the importance of nurses’ workplace social capital and the role of nurses in achieving the global movement for sustainable development. Implication for Nursing Management. Investment in nursing workforce and nurses’ workplace social capital can further strengthen the position of nurses to support and deliver the SDGs.

Factors Associated With Work Engagement of Nurses During the Fifth Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan: Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light the prevalence of mental health issues among nurses. Work engagement (WE) is a concept that describes work-related positive psychological states and is of importance within mental health measures. There is, however, a lack of research on factors associated with the WE of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective We aimed to determine which factors are associated with WE among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic using the job demands-resources (JD-R) model as a framework. Methods A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among nurses working in acute care and psychiatric institutions in the prefectures of Chiba and Tokyo in Japan. The survey period occurred between August 8 and September 30, 2021, during a time when the number of patients with a positive COVID-19 infection increased. The 3-item version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-3) was used to measure WE. Factors such as age, gender, years of experience, affiliated ward, COVID-19–related stress, financial rewards from the government and hospital, encouragement from the government and patients, and workplace social capital were assessed. A total of 187 participants were included in the final analysis. Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the factors related to WE. Partial regression coefficients (B), 95% CI, and P values were calculated. Results The mean overall score for the UWES-3 was 3.19 (SD 1.21). Factors negatively associated with UWES-3 were COVID-19–related stress on work motivation and escape behavior (Β –0.16, 95% CI –0.24 to –0.090; P<.001), and factors positively associated with UWES-3 were affiliation of intensive care units (Β 0.76, 95% CI 0.020-1.50; P=.045) and financial rewards from the government and hospital (Β 0.40, 95% CI 0.040-0.76; P=.03). Conclusions This study examined factors related to WE among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic using the JD-R model. When compared with findings from previous studies, our results suggest that nurses’ WE was lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Negative motivation and escape behaviors related to COVID-19 were negatively associated with WE, while there were positive associations with financial rewards from the government and hospital and affiliation with an intensive care unit. Further research into larger populations is needed to confirm these findings.

Effectiveness of a workshop-based intervention to reduce bullying and violence at work: A 2-year quasi-experimental intervention study

IntroductionBullying and violence at work are associated with reduced wellbeing of the victims, but few evidence-based interventions are available to prevent these offensive behaviours. We developed and examined the effectiveness of an intervention aimed at prevention of bullying and violence at work through modifications in psychosocial work environment. MethodsIn accordance with pre-published protocol, employees and supervisors of 12 work units in 3 cities (intervention group A: n = 315; intervention group B: n = 271) received a workshop-based intervention on organizational practices to prevent bullying and violence, including supervisor support, supervisor justice, workplace social capital, and psychological safety and were compared to a reference group (n = 2310) which did not receive the intervention. Latent change score modelling (LCSM) was used to estimate between- and within-individual differences in changes of organizational practices and prevalence of bullying and violence from baseline (2020) to follow-up (2022). ResultsNo direct or indirect effects of intervention were observed. Of the potential mediator variables, supervisor support (B = 0.04; 95% confidence interval 0.006, 0.07) and supervisor justice (0.04; 0.01, 0.08) improved in the intervention group B between the measurements and compared to control group, but the result was not replicated in intervention group A. No changes were observed between the measurement points in bullying or violence at work. ConclusionsNo intervention effects on bullying and violence at work were observed. It may be worthwhile to develop the intervention further to focus more on supervisor and co-worker relationships and on psychosocial resources of work team.

The mediating role of resilience between social capital at work and anxiety of medical staff

Objective: To explore the influence of social capital at work on anxiety of medical staff, and the mediating role of resilience. Methods: From March to May 2022, a total of 201 medical staff in the Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University were investigated with the General Information Questionnaire, Workplace Social Capital Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) . K-S method was used for normdity test of econometic voriobles, and normal distribution data were represented by Mean±SD, Pearson correlation analysis and linear regression analysis were used to test correlation between variables and mediating effect, and Bootstrap method was carried out by SPSS macro program PROCESS v3.5 to verify the mediating effect. Results: The detection rate of anxiety was 59.20% (119/201) in medical staff. The scores of social capital at work (28.90±5.83) and resilience (31.55±4.98) were negatively correlated with the score of anxiety (7.20±2.06) (r=-0.338, -0.510, P<0.001) , while the score of social capital at work was positively correlated with resilience (r=0.392, P<0.001) . Workplace social capital positively predicted resilience (β=0.392, P<0.001) , and both workplace social capital (β=-0.222, P=0.001) and resilience at work (β=-0.423, P<0.001) negatively predicted anxiety score. The direct effect of social capital in the workplace of medical staff on anxiety was -0.222 (95%CI: -0.349~-0.095, P=0.001) , and the indirect effect of resilience on anxiety was -0.166 (95%CI: -0.265~-0.080) . The resilience of medical staff had a partial mediating effect between workplace social capital and anxiety, which accounted for 42.78% of the total effect. Conclusion: The resilience of medical staff has a partial mediating effect between workplace social capital and anxiety. Workplace social capital can not only directly affect the anxiety of medical staff, but also indirectly affect it through resilience.

Is mental health positively associated with workplace social capital among Danish hospital employees? A multilevel study

Being mentally healthy is associated with being more productive, creative, altruistic, and innovative, which are key values in Western society and highly relevant among hospital employees. However, studies investigating the promotion of mental health rather than the prevention of poor mental health and mental illnesses among hospital employees are limited. Thus, we examined the association between workplace social capital and mental health among hospital employees using electronic survey data collected from Danish hospital employees. The study sample consisted of 1452 employees, corresponding to 40% of the hospital staff. Mental health was assessed using the Mental Health Continuum Short Form, in which mental health is understood as a combination of emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Workplace social capital was assessed using Borg et al.’s (2014) Social Capital Questionnaire, which measures bonding, bridging, and linking social capital in relation to immediate management and the workplace as a whole in four separate subscales. Multiple imputations by chained equations were applied.Multilevel linear regression analyzes showed a positive association among bonding, bridging, and linking social capital in relation to immediate management and mental health. First, our results highlight that hospital employees’ mental health is associated with social capital in the workplace. Second, the strongest association was found between bridging social capital in work teams and mental health. Third, mental health was significantly poorer among employees aged between 25 and 35 years than among employees aged between 46 and 55 years. However, unlike our theoretical expectation, linking social capital in relation to the workplace as a whole was not associated with mental health. In conclusion, our results provide an impetus for further research on health promotion and interventions in hospitals and in similar sectors.

Interprofessional Team Collaboration as a Mediator Between Workplace Social Capital and Patient Safety Climate: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Patient-safety climate is one of the most important organizational factors contributing to health care quality. We hypothesized that a patient safety climate is fostered by the willingness to collaborate and trust among members as well as by daily collaborative practices. This study aimed to clarify the effect of workplace social capital on patient safety climate. We also sought to investigate the mediating effect of interprofessional team collaboration on the relationship between workplace social capital and patient safety climate. This cross-sectional survey was conducted from November 2021 to January 2022 using anonymous web-based questionnaires. The survey was distributed to 1495 employees working in a hospital in Tokyo, Japan. The questionnaire included the patient safety climate scale, workplace social capital scale, Japanese version of the Assessment of Interprofessional Team Collaboration Scale-II (AITCS-II-J), and demographic items. Structural equation modeling was performed to verify the associations among the 3 variables. In addition, a significance test for indirect effects was conducted using the bootstrap method to confirm the mediating effect of AITCS-II-J. A total of 725 employees participated in this survey, and 632 data items were analyzed. Nurses were the highest number of respondents (68.2%), followed by physicians (13.3%). Workplace social capital and patient safety were directly and significantly associated (β = .309, P < .01). Furthermore, the partially indirect effect of the AITCS-II-J on the association between workplace social capital and patient safety climate was also significant (β = .430, P < .01). Workplace social capital was significantly and directly related to patient safety climate and was also significantly related to patient safety climate partially mediated by interprofessional team collaboration. Our findings suggest the importance of workplace social capital and routine multidisciplinary collaboration for a patient safety climate to manage health care quality.

Associations between accumulating job stressors, workplace social capital, and psychological distress on work-unit level: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundPsychosocial job stressor studies usually examine one exposure at a time and focus on individual workers. In this study we examined the accumulation of work stressors in work units and its association with psychological distress (PD) on work-unit level. We also investigated whether high workplace social capital modifies the effect.MethodsWe examined survey responses from 813 Finnish health and social services (HSS) work units, comprising 9 502 employees, in a cross-sectional study design. The survey was conducted in 2021. We calculated odds ratios for the association between accumulating job stressors and PD. We also analyzed the interaction between work stressors and the effect modification of high workplace social capital.ResultsWe found that HSS work units with high percentage of employees having high job demands and low rewards (OR 7.2, 95% CI 3.7, 13.8) have an increased risk of higher PD in the work unit. We also found indication of high social capital possibly modifying the effect of job stressors on PD. The results suggest that accumulated job stressors are associated with PD on work unit level, with excess risk for PD compared to the stressors acting separately.ConclusionsThe results indicate that the effect of accumulating job stressors should be further studied on work-unit level. Participatory organizational-level and work-unit level interventions to tackle job stressors and to improve workplace social capital are warranted.

Worksite exercise intervention for hospital health care providers: Outcomes and resource utilization of a pilot study

ObjectivesWorkplace exercise has been demonstrated to improve health outcomes and productivity. Hospital staffs may have a large potential to benefit from workplace exercise; however, implementation of workplace exercise faces the challenges of the workflow in hospitals. This study aimed to explore the economic and productivity consequences of a 12-week exercise intervention for hospital health care providers in a Danish hospital department. MethodsThe outcome measures included the costs of providing the intervention, sick leave, self-reported quality of life (EQ-5D-5 L), work engagement (Utrecht Work Engagement Scale), and employees’ workplace social capital. Ordinary Least Squares and Generalized Linear Models were employed to assess whether the extent of participation in the intervention was associated with the outcome measures. ResultsA total of 80 participants completed an average of 9 sessions during the 12-week study period, at an estimated mean cost of €77 per person. Increasing number of exercise sessions was associated with improvements on the pain domain of the EQ-5D-5 L (mean (SD) -0.2570 (0.723), p = 0.0049), and with improved work engagement (by 4.6%) over the intervention period. We found no significant associations between exercise session participation and the other outcome measures. ConclusionsThe pilot study demonstrates relatively high acceptance of a worksite exercise program at a hospital, at a relatively low cost, with several important directions in outcomes. Further work should explore whether these results can be replicated in a larger, randomized trial.

Cultural adaptation and validation of Japanese medical resident version of the workplace social capital scale: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundThe Workplace Social Capital (WSC) Scale is the most frequently used tool for measuring social capital at work in Western countries. However, there are no corresponding tools for assessing WSC among medical trainees in Japan. Thus, this study was conducted to develop the Japanese medical resident version of the WSC (JMR-WSC) Scale and examine its validity and reliability.MethodsThe Japanese version of the WSC Scale by Odagiri et al. was reviewed and the scale was partially modified for use in the Japanese context of postgraduate medical education. To verify the validity and reliability of the JMR-WSC Scale, a cross-sectional survey was performed in 32 hospitals across Japan. Postgraduate trainees (years 1–6) at the participating hospitals responded to the online questionnaire on a voluntary basis. We tested the structural validity through confirmatory factor analysis. We also examined criterion-related validity and internal consistency reliability of the JMR-WSC Scale.ResultsIn all, 289 trainees completed the questionnaire. The results of confirmatory factor analysis supported the JMR-WSC Scale’s structural validity on the same two-factor model as that of the original WSC Scale. Logistic regression analysis showed that, after adjustment for gender and postgraduate years, trainees with good self-rated health had a significantly elevated odds ratio for good WSC. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients showed acceptable internal consistency reliability.ConclusionsWe successfully developed the JMR-WSC Scale and examined its validity and reliability. Our scale could be used to measure social capital in postgraduate medical training settings in Japan to help prevent burnout and reduce patient safety incidents.

When and why workplace cyberbullying influences intention to stay: role of workplace social capital and affective commitment

PurposeCOVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of home-based teleworking globally. Coupled with this, there are rising concerns about workplace cyberbullying. However, less studies have explored workplace cyberbullying in non-western countries. The purpose of the current study is to examine whether workplace cyberbullying affects employees' intention to stay and to find out the mechanisms underlying the relationship.Design/methodology/approachData were collected among Indian home-based teleworkers. Data were analysed using SmartPLS and SPSS-PROCESS macro.FindingsResults show that workplace cyberbullying negatively impacts intention to stay and affective commitment acts as a mediator between this link. The results also reveal that workplace social capital moderates the negative effects of workplace cyberbullying on affective commitment. The results further confirm that workplace social capital moderated the indirect impact of workplace cyberbullying on intention to stay via affective commitment.Practical implicationsThis study highlights the potential of leveraging workplace social capital in order to reduce the negative effects of workplace cyberbullying.Originality/valueThese findings can complement the previous studies on the impact of negative work events on affective commitment and intention to stay as well as extend researchers' understanding of the underlying mechanism between workplace cyberbullying and intention to stay. Furthermore, this research explains how employees can utilise social resources from workplace social capital to mitigate the negative outcomes of workplace cyberbullying.

Exploring Elements of Workplace Social Capital that Impact the Accommodation Negotiation Process: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

The concept of social capital may shed light on challenges experienced by employees with mental health conditions (MHC) in sustaining employment. This article presents findings from a qualitative descriptive study exploring the concept of workplace social capital and its impact on how employees with MHC negotiate workplace accommodations. The findings reveal that social capital consists of various elements that impact how accommodations are negotiated in the workplace; some are dynamic and can be built, rebuilt, and spent such as employee self-confidence, reputation, and likeability. Future research is needed to explore how social capital can be developed to facilitate the accommodation process.

People are scarier than ghosts? Workplace haters and knowledge sharing

AbstractObjective.In the workplace, colleague relationship deeply affects employees’ work attitude and behavior, but it is rarely taken seriously. Based on the cognitive‐affective personality system theory and social network theory, this study examined the influence of three common workplace haters (negative gossiper, two‐faced person, and loafer) on employee well‐being and knowledge sharing and explores the moderating effect of organizational social capital. Method.The study used longitudinal design, three‐wave, and 409 valid supervisor–employee pairs (233 direct supervisors and 409 employees) from 10 companies in Taiwan to test these hypothetical relationships. Results. The findings of this study showed that: (1) workplace haters negatively affects employee well‐being; (2) employee well‐being positively affects knowledge sharing; (3) employee well‐being mediates the relationship between workplace haters and knowledge sharing; and (4) organizational social capital moderates the relationship between workplace haters and employee well‐being. Conclusion. The study has important contributions to the literature on workplace haters, coworker interaction, and social capital. Implications for behavioral researchers and human resource managers are discussed.

Workplace social capital mediates the relationship between authentic leadership and three dimensions of organizational commitment of hospital nurses: A cross-sectional study.

This study aimed to examine the mediating effect of workplace social capital on the relationship between authentic leadership and the three dimensions of organizational commitment: affective, normative, and continuance. In January 2019, anonymous self-reported questionnaires were distributed to 1220 nurses working in the general wards of two university hospitals in Japan. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the mediating effects of workplace social capital on the relationship between nurse managers' authentic leadership and the three dimensions of organizational commitment. Six hundred and fifty-nine data points were analyzed (valid response rate=54.0%). Participants' average age was 28.6 years (standard deviation: 6.6), and 93.3% were female. The mediation indirect effect of workplace social capital between authentic leadership and organizational commitment was statistically significant in the models of affective organizational commitment and normative organizational commitment, but not in the model of continuance organizational commitment. The effects of authentic leadership and workplace social capital had different impacts on each of the three dimensions of organizational commitment. Nurse managers' authentic leadership and workplace social capital can enhance nurses' positive commitment to the organization.

職場のソーシャル・キャピタルが看護職の予防的保健行動と病気対処行動に及ぼす影響

Objective: To determine the effects of workplace social capital (WSC) on preventive health behaviors and illness coping behaviors of nurses.Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was completed by nurses working in a hospital. Descriptive statistics were conducted on basic characteristics, health literacy, and WSC. The effects of WSC on preventive health behavior and illness coping behavior were examined using logistic regression analysis.Results: The data of 600 nursing professionals were analyzed. Health literacy showed a difference in WSC mean values. The WSC of the subjects tended to maintain good lifestyle habits in eating breakfast, nutritional balance, and salt intake in preventive health behaviors. The illness coping behaviors of the subjects with high WSC tended to consult with medical staff or friends when feeling unwell, and to make time to visit a hospital. When the exclusionary workplace culture increased, there was a tendency to not seek medical examination.Conclusion: The WSC of nurses with a health literate human environment may have a positive influence on preventive health behaviors and illness coping behaviors, such as lifestyle, counseling, and medical consultation. On the other hand, exclusionary workplace culture may hinder the maintenance of health because of the tendency of not receiving medical examinations.

Workplace Social Capital: Redefining and Measuring the Construct

Although workplace social capital (WSC) is a relevant construct that contributes positively to employee and organizational wellness, there is lack of consensus regarding its definition and measurement. The aim of this paper was to synthesize a valid definition of WSC and develop an instrument measuring the construct. Based on a literature review of existing definitions (Phase 1), we conceptualized WSC as a workplace resource that concerns employees’ perceptions regarding trust, reciprocity (cognitive WSC), and network interactions (structural WSC) that exist among peers (bonding WSC) and among individuals across hierarchical levels and organizations (bridging WSC). Next, we developed the WSC Inventory (WoSCi; Phase 2) and, we tested the psychometric properties of the new scale (Phase 3). The initial structure of the scale was explored in a sample of university employees (N = 376). Multilevel confirmatory factor analysis in a heterogeneous sample of 733 employees nested in 158 work groups supported the hypothesized factor structure of the WoSCi. Results also supported the internal consistency, as well as the convergent, criterion-related and incremental validity of the WoSCi in explaining work engagement, burnout, job performance over and above similar constructs, such as individual social capital and psychological capital. These results highlight the relevance of WSC as defined and measured with the WoSCi and underline its value for explaining work-related well-being and organizational behavior.