Social capital in e-commerce era: toward a deeper knowledge of its conceptualization and empirical measurement in agribusiness

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Le Dang Lang
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Business Trend ◽  
Integral Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Sanctions ◽  
Managerial Implications

PurposeE-commerce, with technology as its backbone, is an indispensable business trend associated with the wave of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Recently, its intensifying role has also been noticed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, technology adoption to pursue an e-commerce model for agribusinessmen is not easy, while the COVID-19 has made them lose customers and led them to crises. In that context, the role of social capital (SC) has increasingly been paid significant attention, especially for micro and family businesses. Agribusinessmen can use SC to adopt technology, renew and reinforce their businesses in the global agricultural supply chain disruption context. However, there seems to be a dearth of an integral measurement of social capital (IMSC) to apply to the practice effectively. Recognizing this need, the current study aims to develop an integral scale for SC.Design/methodology/approachThis research adopts a widely accepted and rigorous scale development process, a mixed-methods research design and essential statistical techniques to develop an IMSC.FindingsThe result develops an IMSC consisting of nine facets: linking-corporate, bonding-bridging, trust in political institutions, trust in public services, generalized social trust, norms and social sanctions, subjective safety, civicness and community cohesiveness. The scales of these facets are found to be unidimensional, reliable and valid.Originality/valueThis is the first study developing an IMSC to contribute to the extant literature. The study also provides managerial implications for practitioners to strengthen SC and adopt technology to improve their businesses.

Social trust, norms and morality

Human Affairs ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miroslav Popper
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Dynamic Change ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Legal Norms ◽  
Increased Sensitivity ◽  
The Individual

AbstractThe article approaches the topic of social trust from an evolutionary perspective. It begins by summarising the most influential approaches that have defined specific and social trust and ascertains what causes differences in degrees of trust and how the potential risk of deception might be lowered. It then notes that the basis of morality had already been formed during the era of prehistoric man, who was able to create coalitions against aggressors and to socially control the behaviour of deviants. It points out, however, that having a certain predisposition to behaving cooperatively or an increased sensitivity to recognising and not tolerating behaviour aimed at abusing cooperation is not a sufficient guarantee of the fact that people will always (or at least in the majority of situations) favour cooperation over deception. One of the reasons for this is a tendency to favour short-term gains over long-term ones. The article argues that establishing norms (moral, social and legal) produces a higher level of social trust because it not only “encourages” individuals to behave in certain ways in particular situations but also works as a sanction which “discourages” the individual from socially deviant behaviour. The article then focuses on a debate about the causal relationship between social trust and social capital. It discusses the suggestion that political institutions, government and the judiciary may reduce rather than raise levels of social capital and consequently also the level of social trust. This is partly because of their powerful position and the consequent scope for corruption and partly because of the fact that even when attempting to act honestly, representatives of these institutions cannot sufficiently reflect upon dynamic change at the local level. Finally, the article ends by adopting the position that social trust is built primarily from bottom up and so it is risky to continually doubt the very existence and usefulness of social norms and morality and to be governed simply by legal norms.

scholarly journals SOCIAL CAPITAL OF THE ALTAI TERRITORY: HOW TRUST DETERMINES SECURITY

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-149
Author(s):  
Marya I. Cherepanova ◽  
Svetlana G. Maximova ◽  
Sydysmaa A. Saryglar
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Common Good ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Social Institutions ◽  
Russian Society ◽  
Social Mechanism ◽  
Generalized Trust ◽  
The Social

The scientific significance of studying security problems in regional societies is determined by the need to reveal its actual components. Such complex indicator as social capital includes basic indicators of the functioning of civil society: social responsibility, activity, civic initiative, etc. The social capital formed in society induces generalized trust. At the same time, institutional trust contributes to the legitimization of legal and political institutions. The purpose of this article is to describe the social mechanism of interdependence of components of social capital and generalized trust that form a sense of security in the region. The article summarizes expert assessments that indicate heterogeneity of institutional systems, which are indicators of low coherence of the social order and form a low level of trust and, consequently, security in the Altai territory. It is concluded that for modern Russian society, as well as for its regions, the problem of regenerating generalized trust as a social background for optimizing post-industrial transformations is extremely significant. Stability of the active role of social institutions, the reproduction of spiritual values, such as the common good, inter-ethnic tolerance, social justice are among most important factors restoring social trust.

scholarly journals Sense of belonging as an indicator of social capital

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 627-642
Author(s):  
Mi Young Ahn ◽  
Howard H. Davis
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Capital ◽  
Higher Education Policy ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Social Research ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Capital Theory ◽  
Capital Theory ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThis paper examines the possibility of using sense of belonging as an indicator for social capital. Social capital, from the collective social capital theory perspective, is constructed from three main elements: trust, social network and participation. Social capital is crucial to civil society and well-being, but there is no consensus on how to define and measure it. This paper approaches this problem with the different but related concept of sense of belonging, as belonging overlaps with social capital conceptually, but also is more amenable to measurement.Design/methodology/approachQualitative and quantitative data was collected from approximately 800 university students and used to explore the relationship between belonging and social capital both conceptually and empirically in the higher education context.FindingsThe mixed methods research analysis in this paper provides strong evidence to show how sense of belonging and social capital are theoretically and empirically intertwined, Conceptually they occupy overlapping spheres and their connections can be clearly traced and measured. This is supported by substantial statistical evidence of their relatedness, despite their independent origins in social research. For these reasons, this paper argues that sense of belonging can be used as a simplified alternative way to measure social capital.Originality/valueThis paper explains the advantages of using sense of belonging to understand social capital. It sets out a conceptual framework and provides a statistical demonstration. This paper develops and enriches a current strand of social capital and sense of belonging research in the fields of sociology and higher education policy.

Social capital influences farmer participation in collective irrigation management in Shaanxi Province, China

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 448-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shanshan Miao ◽  
Wim Heijman ◽  
Xueqin Zhu ◽  
Qian Lu
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Collective Action ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Irrigation Management ◽  
Shaanxi Province ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Cropping Patterns ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Reciprocity

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of four components of social capital on farmers’ participative behaviour in collective actions for constructing and operating small-scale groundwater irrigation systems on the Guanzhong Plain, Shaanxi Province, China. Design/methodology/approach – The four components (social networks, social trust, social reciprocity and social participation) were derived by employing exploratory factor analysis. Logistic model was used to estimate the influence of these components on farmers’ participative behaviour. Information was obtained from a field survey covering six counties in 2011 of Shaanxi Province, China. Findings – The findings indicate that considering different components of social capital allows for a better understanding of farmers’ participative behaviour. The authors find that higher levels of social trust and social participation lead to a higher propensity for collective action, while social reciprocity reduces the probability of participation. Other socio-economic factors and farming characteristics such as education levels, cultivated area, cropping patterns and grain subsidies also have a significant impact. Practical implications – The findings suggest creating favourable conditions for communication and information exchanges between households, which enhance their trust of each other, and encourage farmers to participate in collective affairs. Moreover, supportive rules are necessary for the future development of collective action. The results of this study also have implications for national irrigation plans for small-scale irrigation facilities in other developing countries. Originality/value – A consideration of the different components of social capital allows for a more precise understanding of farmers’ participative behaviour.

The impact paths of social capital and the effects of microfinance

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 704-718
Author(s):  
Fang Xiong ◽  
Jia Lu You
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Capital Formation ◽  
Microfinance Institutions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social Sanctions ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact paths of the social capital and the effects of microfinance in rural China, and address effective methods to enhance the effects of microfinance for rural China. Design/methodology/approach Using a structural equation model with survey data from 350 rural households in China, this paper analyzes empirically whether greater level of social sanctions and social relations caused more tangible effects of microfinance, and whether tangible effects of microfinance are associated with social capital formation of households. Findings The results indicate that social capital promotes the effects of microfinance and the process of providing microfinance service is also the process of building social capital. Moreover, social sanctions diminish the effects of microfinance while social relations boost them and enhance the effects of microfinance that can encourage social capital formation. Results also show that a reverse causal relationship exists between social sanctions and social relations. Research limitations/implications The empirical results imply that actively utilizing and creating social capital is vital to improve the effects of microfinance, and microfinance institutions (MFIs) should concentrate more on harmonious social relations and deliberately build social capital. Practical implications These findings imply that actively utilizing and creating social capital is vital to improve the effects of microfinance, and the MFIs should concentrate more on harmonious social relations and deliberately build social capital to enhance the effects of microfinance while prudently use social sanctions. Social implications Enhancing the effects of microfinance, while prudently using social sanctions, increases households income. Originality/value This paper originates to investigate the links between the social capital and the effects of microfinance in a mutual way, and the results urge more attentions on the harmonious social relations which have been ignored to enhance the effects of microfinance.

scholarly journals Animating business relationships through community social capital: an insight into conviviality

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Guercini ◽  
Silvia Ranfagni
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Business Relationships ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Active Communities ◽  
Business Relations

Purpose As conviviality can nurture community social capital, this paper aims to investigate how such capital can give rise to economic behaviour in terms of developing business relationships. Design/methodology/approach The empirical analysis was based on case studies of Italian businesses recognised as active communities that periodically organise convivial activities to fuel reciprocal collaboration. The case studies were constructed by combining a collection of secondary data, in-depth interviews and participant observations. Findings This paper shows how: community social capital in convivium emerges from self-narrative stimulated by ritual practices; social trust mobilising a convivial social capital is fuelled by knowledge generated through sharing and empathic relationships; community-based social relations embed business relations and if mediated, community-based business relations can also embed a community business. Originality/value The originality of the paper is twofold as it contributes: to understanding how conviviality can be used as a strategic tool for entrepreneurs to develop business relationships from convivial relations; and to finding intersection points between studies on business relationships from social capital and studies on entrepreneurship from community social capital.

scholarly journals Impacts of the internet on perceptions of governance at the community level: the case of Jiangqiao Township in Shanghai, China

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yili Yao ◽  
Xianghong Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Community Level ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Participation ◽  
Community Governance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe rate of urbanisation in China has accelerated community heterogeneity, and yet it has also led to challenges and problems in community governance. This trend has been accompanied by the rapid expansion of information and communication technology (ICT) and online activities. Based on the example of Jiangqiao Township in Shanghai, this paper aims to probe the link between online participation using the internet and its impacts on social capital formation and community development.Design/methodology/approachA literature review was conducted, and a case study method based on quantitative data was applied to test the theoretical framework in the interactions of users’ online participation and perceptions of community governance.FindingsParticipation in an online community through the internet was found to foster new social capital. Distributed social capital had a positive impact on perceptions of governance at the community level, which was due to the resulting network density and social trust of the locality.Originality/valueThis study offers an expanded perspective on the impact of the internet on the behaviour of netizens in China in the context of community governance in new settlements and townships. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is interesting to investigate how the use of mass communication channels, such as the internet and other digital platforms, affects social behaviour and generates new social norms. This study offers quantitative evidence from China to support the theory of Putnam (1993; 1995a). It thus extends beyond the field of sociology to the fields of public administration and urban development.

Social capital and public willingness to cooperate with the police in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 271-283
Author(s):  
Kang Hu ◽  
Rong Hu ◽  
Ivan Sun ◽  
Yuning Wu
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Collective Resistance ◽  
Mediating Mechanisms ◽  
Chinese Public ◽  
Willingness To Cooperate

Purpose Public cooperation with the police is of great significance in the maintenance of social security and social harmony, but studies investigating the mechanisms of public cooperation with the police in China are scarce. Using survey data obtained from Xiamen, China, the purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of social capital on willingness to cooperate with the police and their mediating mechanisms. Design/methodology/approach Data with 938 respondents were used in this study. Ordinary least squares regression models were used to test the influence of social capital on the willingness of the Chinese public to cooperate with the police and its mediating mechanisms. Findings The results show that associational life participation, social trust and neighborhood cohesion can all enhance public willingness to cooperate with the police by cultivating public spirit or trust in government, whereas participation in community collective resistance is negatively correlated with willingness to cooperate with the police. Theoretical explanations are offered to understand different effects of social capital elements on public cooperation with the police, and possible ways to foster such cooperation are discussed. Originality/value This paper takes the lead in examining the effects of social capital on willingness to cooperate with the police and their mediating mechanisms in China.

Understanding SAFE Housing – putting older LGBT* people’s concerns, preferences and experiences of housing in England in a sociological context

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 89-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew King ◽  
Paul Stoneman
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
Theoretical Concept ◽  
Social Capital Theory ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Capital Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Individual

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to put the findings of the Secure, Accessible, Friendly and Equal (SAFE) Housing study, which explored older LGBT* people’s housing concerns, preferences and experiences, in a sociological context. Design/methodology/approach The SAFE Housing study was based on a mixed methods research design that included focus groups and an online survey conducted in two areas of England. The paper draws heavily on the theoretical concept of social capital to help to understand and explain the findings. Findings Findings are grouped into three broad themes: safety, comfort and trust; connections and community; and imagining the future. Originality/value This is the first time that an older LGBT housing study has used social capital theory to interpret its findings. This shows how a focus on issues of trust, social networks and connections is expedient to avoid reductive approaches in research, policy and practice to older LGBT* people’s housing choices, preferences and expectations that concentrate on the individual.

scholarly journals Levels of social trust among men from refugee backgrounds after the 2011 Queensland floods

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 318-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ignacio Correa-Velez ◽  
Celia McMichael ◽  
Augustine Conteh
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Social Trust ◽  
Important Place ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Adult Men ◽  
Confounding Variables ◽  
Flood Exposure ◽  
Australian Community ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between flood exposure and levels of social trust among a cohort of adult men from refugee backgrounds who were affected by the 2011 floods in Queensland, Australia. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative questionnaire was administered to 141 men from refugee backgrounds almost two years after the 2011 Queensland floods. The survey was administered in-person by trained peer interviewers, and included a number of standardized instruments assessing respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics, levels of social trust toward and from neighbors, the police, the wider Australian community and the media and exposure to and impact of the floods. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between flood exposure and social trust adjusting for pre-disaster levels of trust and other potentially confounding variables. Findings – Participants with higher levels of flood exposure were significantly more likely to report greater levels of trust both toward and from their neighbors, the wider Australian community and the media, and they were also more likely to believe that most people can be trusted. Research limitations/implications – Although the study reports on data collected two years after the floods, the analysis has adjusted for pre-disaster measures of social trust and other socio-demographic variables. Originality/value – This paper has highlighted the important place of social trust and social capital for refugee communities in a post-disaster setting. Disaster responses that support social capital among marginalized populations are critical to increasing community resilience and supporting recovery.

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