Cultivating social capital: an exploratory analysis of business postgraduates in Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Desmond Tutu Ayentimi ◽  
Robert Ebo Hinson ◽  
John Burgess
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Career Development ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Social Resources ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Positive Finding ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Identity Processes

PurposeThis paper, grounded on social capital and social networking theory, examines how postgraduate students in Ghana cultivate and utilise social resources towards career development.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a qualitative study design, the authors recruited and conducted interviews with postgraduate student-workers undertaking a two-year Master of Science in International Business.FindingsThere was an active engagement and consciously pre-plan mobilisation of social resources and utilisation of social resources among the postgraduates. Despite the diverse processes of social capital development identified, four important key themes emerged underpinning social capital mobilisation and utilisation: (1) the recognition of the importance of social capital acquisition, (2) the strong link between social capital and individual successes in employment and business opportunities, (3) the importance of the utilisation of social resources for emotional support and (4) the use of social capital to reinforce the individual social identity and recognition of an individual's worth.Practical implicationsThe authors offer a theoretical and practical contribution with a frame of understanding by demonstrating that there is more to social capital than economic gain.Social implicationsUnlike the findings from prior research in Africa, the strong institutional and cultural conditions did not constrain the key force of education and employability as drivers in attainment and social positioning. This is an interesting and positive finding from the research, especially in terms of the importance of providing educational opportunities to overcome institutional and cultural barriers to workforce participation and career development.Originality/valueSocial networks contribute to career success, and while the participants used social networks that reinforced ethnic and religious bonds, there is the opportunity to develop networks through other identity processes, especially education. Formal education imparts more than formal skills and qualifications. It provides the opportunity to access networks that transcend personal identity such as ethnicity and to get support for career development.

Social capital, employees' well-being and knowledge sharing: does enterprise social networks use matter? Case of Tunisian knowledge-intensive firms

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1153-1183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarra Berraies ◽  
Rym Lajili ◽  
Rached Chtioui
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Enterprise Social Networks ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe objective of this research is to examine the mediating role of employees' well-being in the workplace in the relationship between the dimensions of social capital, namely structural, relational and cognitive social capital and knowledge sharing, as well as the moderating role of enterprise social networks between knowledge sharing and employees' well-being.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative approach was performed within a sample of 168 middle managers working in knowledge-intensive firms in Tunisia. The Partial Least Squares method was used to analyze the data collected.FindingsResults highlight the importance of the dimensions of social capital as a lever for boosting knowledge sharing. It also reveals that employees' well-being plays a mediating role in the link between structural and relational social capital and knowledge sharing. Moreover, findings show that while enterprise social networks use does not moderate the relationship between employees' well-being and knowledge sharing, it has a positive and significant effect on knowledge sharing.Originality/valueOn the basis of a socio-technical perspective of knowledge management, this research pioneers the examination of the mediating effect of employees' well-being in the link between dimensions of social capital and knowledge sharing and the moderating role of enterprise social networks use within knowledge-intensive firms. Findings of this study may help managers of knowledge-intensive firms in boosting knowledge sharing within organizations, in improving knowledge workers' well-being and thus in motivating and retaining these talented employees.

The influence of personality traits and social networks on the self-disclosure behavior of social network site users

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 566-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xi Chen ◽  
Yin Pan ◽  
Bin Guo
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Personal Information ◽  
The Self ◽  
Social Network Site ◽  
Self Disclosure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Network Site

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the influence and interaction of social networks and personality traits on the self-disclosure behavior of social network site (SNS) users. According to social capital theory and the Big Five personality model, the authors hypothesized that social capital factors would affect the accuracy and amount of self-disclosure behavior and that personality traits would moderate this effect. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted to collect data from 207 SNS users. The questionnaire was administered in university classrooms and libraries and via e-mail. The measurement model and structural model were examined by using LISREL 8.8 and SmartPLS 2.0. Findings – Based on the path analysis, the authors identified several interesting patterns to explain self-disclosure behavior on SNSs. First, the centrality of SNS users has a positive effect on their amount of self-disclosure. Moreover, people who are more extroverted disclose personal information that is more accurate with the level of the cognitive dimension held constant and disclose a greater amount of personal information with the level of the structural dimension held constant. From a practical perspective, the results may provide useful insight for companies operating SNSs. Originality/value – This study analyzed the influence of social capital factors on SNS users’ self-disclosure, as well as the interactions between personality and social capital factors. Specifically, the authors examined six important variables of social capital divided into three dimensions. This research complements current research on SNSs by focusing on SNS users’ motivation to disclose self-related information in addition to information sharing.

Women in leadership in Kuwait: a research agenda

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Athmar Al-Salem ◽  
Mark Speece
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Gender Gap ◽  
Gulf Cooperation Council ◽  
Women In Leadership ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mena Countries ◽  
Women In Management ◽  
General Acceptance ◽  
Managerial Positions

Purpose This study aims to examine perceptions in Kuwait about women’s leadership in management. Design/methodology/approach This study includes a review of data on the gender gap across Middle East/North Africa (MENA) countries, comparison with selected Asian and Western countries and summaries of multiple small surveys in Kuwait on women in management. The surveys were all convenience samples ranging from 100-500, targeting middle-class respondents. Findings The MENA is behind most of the world in closing the gender gap, but progress among Gulf Cooperation Council countries has been fairly rapid. Many Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) indicators are comparable to other non-Western cultural areas. Multiple surveys in Kuwait show fairly widespread acceptance of women in leadership positions. Respondents feel that characteristics of women vs men managers are different, but strengths and weaknesses by gender balance out, so that men and women perform about the same. Traditional Kuwaiti culture seems conducive to women in management, but some specific cultural barriers remain. In particular, the diwaniyya, social gatherings to network and discuss current affairs, and wasta, connections, are dominated by men in modern Kuwaiti society. These are essentially social capital issues. Practical implications Fostering continued progress for women in management requires recognition of the actual social and cultural situation; simply arguing that Kuwait should be more Western in how it does things does not seem very useful. Originality/value Research on women in management in MENA is not very extensive, but is important for understanding how to facilitate opportunities for women. In Kuwait, there seems to be general acceptance that women can be leaders in managerial positions, and little overt discrimination. However, lack of access to traditional social capital networks puts women at a disadvantage. Research needs to focus on this issue to help develop ways to overcome this subtle obstacle to further progress.

scholarly journals The effect of early career social capital on long-term income development in Finland

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 1373-1390
Author(s):  
Tomi Oinas ◽  
Petri Ruuskanen ◽  
Mari Hakala ◽  
Timo Anttila
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Register Data ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Income Development ◽  
Network Composition

PurposeIn this study, the authors examine whether social capital embedded in individuals' social networks is connected to employees' long-term income development in Finland.Design/methodology/approachAnalyses are based on 25–35-year-old employees from the Finnish Living Conditions Survey of 1994 combined with register data on earned incomes from 1995 to 2016. The authors used questions addressing the frequency of meeting parents or siblings, spending free time with co-workers and participation in associational, civic or other societal activities as measures of the extent of network capital. Ordered logistic model was used to examine whether the size and composition of social networks differ by gender and socio-economic status. Linear growth curve models were employed to estimate the effect of social capital on long-term income development.FindingsResults indicate minor differences in network composition according to gender, but large differences between socio-economic groups. The authors found that income development was faster for those who participated in civic activities occasionally or who met their relatives or co-workers on a monthly basis, that is, for the “middle group”.Research limitations/implicationsResults are generalizable only to Finnish or Nordic welfare state context. The authors’ measures of social capital come from cross-sectional survey. Thus, the authors are not able to address the stability or accumulation of social capital during life course. This restriction will probably cause the authors’ analysis to underestimate the true effect of social capital on earned incomes.Practical implicationsModerate-level investments to network capital seem to be the most beneficial with regard to the long-term income development.Social implicationsThe study results give support to the idea that social capital can be transformed into economic capital. The results also imply that in economic terms it is important to balance diverse forms of social capital. At the policy level, a special emphasis should be directed to employees with low-socio-economic position. These people are especially vulnerable as their low level of income is combined with network composition that hinders their further income development.Originality/valueThe combined survey and register data give unique insight on how the social capital embedded in individuals' social networks is connected with long-term income development.

scholarly journals Social networks, accessed and mobilised social capital and the employment status of older workers

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 356-375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaberi Gayen ◽  
Robert Raeside ◽  
Ronald McQuaid
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Older People ◽  
Job Search ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Weak Ties ◽  
Strong Ties ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of social networks, and the social capital embedded in them, to secure employment if someone had become unemployed after the age of 50 years and to reveal the process of accessing and mobilising that social capital. Design/methodology/approach A case study of a Scottish labour market was undertaken which involved an interview-based survey of those who became unemployed in their early 50’s and tried to regain employment. The interview had structured and unstructured parts which allowed both quantitative and qualitative analysis to compare those who were successful in regaining work with those who were not. The uniqueness of the paper is the use of social network components while controlling for other socio-economic and demographic variables in job search of older workers. Findings Those older people who were unemployed and, returned to employment (reemployed) had a higher proportion of contacts with higher prestige jobs, their job searching methods were mainly interpersonal and the rate of finding their last job via their social networks was higher than those who remained unemployed. Both groups mobilised social capital (MSC), but those reemployed accessed higher “quality” social capital. “Strong ties”, rather than “weak ties”, were found to be important in accessing and mobilising social capital for the older workers who returned to employment. Research limitations/implications This work is limited to a local labour market and is based on a small but informative sample. However, it does show that policy is required to allow older people to enhance their social networks by strengthening the social capital embedded in the networks. The results support the use of intermediaries as bridges to help compensate for older people who have weak social networks. Besides the policy implications, the paper also has two distinct research implications. First, the use of social network component to the existing literature of older workers’ job search. Second, exploring the type and relational strength with network members to explain older workers’ reemployment. Practical implications The paper illustrates that how accessed and MSC can be measured. Social implications As populations age, this work points to an approach to support older people to re-enter employment and to include them in society. Originality/value The paper extends social network and employment literature to fill gaps on how older people require to both access and mobilise social capital. The importance of “strong ties” in the reemployment of older workers contrasts with much of the literature on younger workers where the “strength of weak ties” so far has been regarded as essential for successful job search. Measures are forwarded to reveal the relevance of social capital. The policy value of the work is in suggesting ways to facilitate older people re-enter or remain in work and hence sustain their well-being.

Social capital in disaster risk management; a case study of social capital mobilization following the 1934 Kathmandu Valley earthquake in Nepal

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 314-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roshan Bhakta Bhandari
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Disaster Risk ◽  
Kathmandu Valley ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Disaster Victims ◽  
Linking Social Capital ◽  
Response And Recovery

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how social capital operated in the lives of 15 respondents from Lalitpur following the massive 1934 Kathmandu Valley earthquake. Based on experiences of the survivors, it attempts to understand how individuals and families utilized their social capital in the aftermath of the earthquake, and rebuild their lives and communities. Design/methodology/approach – This is a qualitative study based on non-structured interviews and discussions with disaster victims on their own locality. Following Padgett's (2008) grounded theory approach, flexible method of data collection is adopted through interactions with respondents and following up on important cues or patterns as additional data emerged. Findings – Participants described a process through which they relied on bonding, bridging and linking social capital in different stages of earthquake response and recovery. Close ties or bonding social capital were important for immediate support, but bridging and linking social capital offered pathways to longer term survival and wider neighbourhood and community revitalization. This paper also discusses how social capital inclusion in pre-disaster communities might be helpful to strengthen their response capacity. Research limitations/implications – As the study participants were less than ten years old when the earthquake happened, they might have omitted or overlooked some important details about the event. The findings are based not only on participant's own memories, but they also shared stories told by their parents which were the indirect experiences. Practical implications – This study indicates the potential value and need for including bonding, bridging and linking social capital and traditional social networks in disaster planning. A key outcome related to disaster policy would be what institutional condition or combinations of different dimensions of social capital may serve the public for better disaster response and recovery. Originality/value – This study has paid attention to how social capital might be useful in disaster risk reduction both in post-disaster phase and in pre-disaster condition which may be rare in disaster studies. It also provides an insight into how community-based disaster management can take into account pre-existing social systems and traditional social networks to build local capacities.

Gendered patterning of relationships

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 360-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhanu Bhatia ◽  
Fanny Salignac
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Spatial Analysis ◽  
Reproductive Health ◽  
Policy Design ◽  
Gender Norms ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Health Networks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
And Gender

Purpose Social capital has become a general tool for policy interventions in developing countries – often put forward as empowering and improving women’s socioeconomic position. Using the framework of gendered manifestations of networks in patriarchal setting of Bangladesh, the authors argue that while networks are crucial building blocks of social capital they are bound to manifest differently depending on the context in which they are embedded. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach By combining methods of social networks and spatial analysis, this study provides insights into the embeddedness of networks in gender norms. The authors conduct the study in the context of reproductive health networks in rural Bangladesh. Findings The findings suggest that networks mirror the structure of the society in which they evolve, reproducing rather than challenging disadvantage. Research limitations/implications The authors call for a more nuanced view of social capital leading to policy design that is sensitive to different manifestations of networks. Originality/value This study is the first to combine novel methods of social networks and spatial analysis to quantify the complex interplay between social networks and gender norms. This study further contributes to the diffusion literature by providing the first comparative view of women’s and men’s reproductive health networks that extend beyond actors’ direct tie.

Social capital and job search behaviour of long-term welfare recipients

2015 ◽  
Vol 35 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 738-755 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inge Varekamp ◽  
Trudie Knijn ◽  
Martin van der Gaag ◽  
Peter Bos
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Job Search ◽  
Social Resources ◽  
Welfare Recipients ◽  
Expert Advice ◽  
Subsistence Level ◽  
Search Behaviour ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – Long-term welfare recipients in the Netherlands are either long-term unemployed or part-time employed in jobs that generate incomes below the subsistence level. The question is whether reintegration policies aiming at their return to – a fulltime – job should consider individual social network factors besides psychological and human capital factors. The purpose of this paper is to investigate welfare recipients’ job search behaviour, in particular how individual social capital is distributed, and whether it is related to job search activities. Design/methodology/approach – Standardised and structured interviews were conducted with 189 long-term unemployed welfare recipients. An adapted version of the Resource Generator instrument was used to measure individual access to social capital. Findings – Social capital scales measuring domestic social resources, status-related social resources, expert advice on regulations and financial matters, and advice on finding a job were developed and psychometrically tested. Status-related social resources were more easily accessible to men and higher educated persons. Advice on finding a job was more easily accessible to recently unemployed individuals. Domestic social resources were less accessible to ethnic minorities. Persons with more social capital, specifically status-related social resources and advice in finding a job, showed more active job search behaviour. Social implications – The differences in job search activities between respondents with more social capital and those with less social capital were present but to a small degree, and therefore there is no argument for reintegration activities to focus on enlarging social capital. Originality/value – This study addresses the instrumental functions of the social network by multidimensionally scrutinising the resources that social relationships provide access to.

“Who should I grant access to my post?”: Identifying the most suitable privacy decisions on online social networks

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose Alemany ◽  
Elena Del Val ◽  
Ana María García-Fornes
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Online Social Networks ◽  
Personal Information ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Capital Building ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

PurposeOnline social networks (OSNs) provide users with mechanisms such as social circles and individual selection to define the audiences (i.e., privacy policy) of the shared information. This privacy decision-making process is a hard and tedious task for users because they have to assess the cost-benefit in a complex environment. Moreover, little is known about how users assess the cost-benefit of matching the elements of online communication and their interests. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop and test a research model to understand the impact that the types of receivers and the sensitivity of messages have on privacy decisions.Design/methodology/approachA study was conducted to understand how users evaluate the cost-benefit of the disclosure action in online social networks for the different types of receivers identified and the sensitivity of the message. Data from 400 respondents was collected and analyzed using partial least squares modeling.FindingsThe findings of this study demonstrated a trade-off variance between the perceived cost-benefit and the disclosure of sensitive information with different receiver types. Disclosing personal information with trusted receivers, influencer receivers and receivers from the circle of coworkers had a positive significant effect on social capital building. Conversely, disclosing personal information with receivers from the circle of family or unknown receivers had a significant negative effect on social capital building and even a significant positive effect on privacy concerns.Originality/valueRecent literature has documented the increasing interest of the research community in understanding users' concerns and interests in making the most suitable privacy decisions. However, most researchers have worked on understanding the disclosure action from a user-centered perspective and have not considered all of the elements of online communication. This study puts the focus on all of the elements of communication during disclosure actions, taking into account the properties of the message and receivers and the impact on users' cost benefit value.

Analyzing campaign’s outcome in reward-based crowdfunding

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 1171-1189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pilar Madrazo-Lemarroy ◽  
Karla Barajas-Portas ◽  
Maria Elena Labastida Tovar
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Evaluation Method ◽  
Shared Vision ◽  
Design Model ◽  
Cognitive Dimension ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Current State ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to probe how reward-based crowdfunding campaigns accomplish their goal by adopting the theoretical constructs of social capital dimensions: structural, cognitive and relational. Design/methodology/approach The approach used is a design model for concluded campaigns in a Mexican crowdfunding platform, which determines social capital from operating social networks (Facebook and Twitter). By using this model, the associations between the dimensions are revealed, verifying how social capital flourishes during the campaign and how it alters the campaign’s outcome. Findings The findings demonstrate how social interaction through a wide social network (structural dimension), shared vision and values among entrepreneurs and their potential funders (cognitive dimension), and the development of trustworthiness within the campaign (relational dimension) boost the probability of achieving the crowdfunding goal. Research limitations/implications The results inform researchers on how social capital is forged from social networks during a crowdfunding campaign. However, the method must be validated with other crowdfunding models and other social network platforms commonly used by campaign creators. Practical implications Contributions from this paper include tools (design model and evaluation method) associating theory with the crowdfunding mechanism, complementing previous work. Crowdfunding providers, as well as campaign creators, have now an approach to appraise social capital and obtain the desired goal. Originality/value In addition to providing much-needed research on the current state of crowdfunding, this paper analyzes the link between practice and theory, which can be valuable in confining the mechanism to an accurate theory and ensuring the theory’s longevity.

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