Social Networks: Effects of Social Capital on Firm Innovation

2010 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 258-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesc Xavier Molina-Morales ◽  
María Teresa Martínez-Fernández
2020 ◽  
pp. 009182962097237
Author(s):  
Simone Mulieri Twibell

Short-term missions provide opportunities for the formation of cross-cultural relationships and joint evangelistic endeavors. Scholars have challenged the typical unidirectional nature of short-term mission and partnership efforts, advocating for a more bidirectional flow of resources. This article analyzes the dynamics of reverse short-term missions with the goal of understanding their contributions from the perspective of the American hosts. The author suggests that reverse short-term missions bridge social capital across social networks and function as “networks of invigoration” by bringing information benefits to their hosts. These types of exchanges have the potential to help the American church reinterpret familiar experiences and see the mission of the church in a new way. Five perceptual outcomes are identified: alteration of perspectives; service opportunities for the hosts; renewal of spiritual commitments; first-hand exposure to a different culture; and contact with faith-mission models.


2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 176-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Rogers

This article presents findings from research into how young people growing up in foster care in the UK manage the relationships in their social networks and gain access to social capital. It is a concept that highlights the value of relationships and is relevant to young people in care as they have usually experienced disruptions to their social and family life. Qualitative methods were used and the findings show that despite experiencing disruption to their social networks, the young people demonstrated that they were able to maintain access to their social capital. They achieved this in two ways. Firstly, they preserved their relationships, often through what can be seen as ordinary practices but in the extraordinary context of being in foster care. Secondly, they engaged in creative practices of memorialisation to preserve relationships that had ended or had been significantly impaired due to their experience of separation and movement. The article highlights implications for policy and practice, including the need to recognise the value of young people’s personal possessions. Furthermore, it stresses the need to support them to maintain their relationships across their networks as this facilitates their access to social capital.


2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 239-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ángela Martínez-Pérez ◽  
Marie-Michele Beauchesne

Despite the recognized importance of tourism as an engine of economic growth in developed countries, research on the antecedents of innovation in this sector has been sparse, especially in the context of tourism clusters. Scholars have suggested that social capital is a key determinant of firm innovation in the context of tourism clusters, but empirical evidence has been lacking. The aim of this article is to empirically study the interplay between social capital and innovation in the context of tourism clusters at firm level. More specifically, we analyzed the effects of closed networks and diverse networks on firm innovation using a sample of 215 hospitality and tourism firms located in the World Heritage Cities of Spain. Results showed an inverted-U-shaped relationship between closed networks and firm innovation. Consistent with existing literature, these findings suggest that whereas a certain degree of strength and density helps to promote innovation, a critical point may exist beyond which innovation stabilizes or deteriorates when the information of the network becomes too redundant. In addition, we found that diverse networks positively moderated the relationship between closed networks and firm innovation. In other words, structural holes appear to mitigate the negative effects arising from excess strength and density and encourage the development of innovations beyond what a firm relying solely on closed networks could achieve. In practice, these results suggest firms in tourism clusters should not exclusively focus on typical closed networks but also create connections with diverse agents to maximize their potential for innovation.


2013 ◽  
pp. 75-105
Author(s):  
Vida Cesnuityte

The aim of the research presented in the paper is to explore the inter-relations between care processes and personal social networks as social capital in the light of the changing family models. Research of interdependence of care, social capital and family models is based on the idea of family practices suggested by Morgan. The main research question is what family practices of various family models create such social capital that ensure caring for its' members? The research hypothesis is that participation in various activities together with family members and persons beyond nuclear and extended family create dense social networks of caregivers. The analysis is based on data of representative quantitative survey carried out in Lithuania between 2011 November-2012 May within the ESF supported research project "Trajectories of family models and social networks: intergenerational perspective". Research results only partly support this hypothesis: particular family practices create networks of caregivers, but in order to involve particular persons into network of caregivers, different family practices in various family models are needed. Usually, inhabitants of Lithuania primarily expect to receive care from persons who depend to nuclear family created through marriage and extended family arisen from this relation. But persons from whom it is expected to receive care and care received differ in Lithuania. In reality, caregivers usually are children in families with children and parents in families without children. Family practices that create social networks of caregivers, and are common for all family models include annual feasts like Christmas Eve, Christmas, Easter, All Soul's Day, New Year party, Mother's Day. Various family practices differently impacting creation social networks of caregivers for different family models but usually its include joint dinner daily, Sunday lunch together, vacations with family, communication face-toface, by the telephone or Internet, consultations on important decision-making, All Soul's Day feast, Christmas celebration, Mother's Day, Gatherings of relatives, Birthday, Name-day feast, visiting cultural event together.


Author(s):  
John McLevey ◽  
Allyson Stokes ◽  
Amelia Howard

Pierre Bourdieu is one of the most influential and widely cited figures in anglophone Canadian sociology. Since the first decade of the twenty-first century, in particular, his theories have guided research in areas such as the sociology of culture, education, social theory, social networks, and social capital. This chapter presents a content analysis of journal articles to better understand Bourdieu’s influence on anglophone Canadian sociology. Many citations to Bourdieu are ritualistic and occasionally are characterized by misreadings. Furthermore, interpretations and applications of Bourdieu’s ideas have been limited by a methodological division of labor. Quantitative research has primarily been concerned with cultural and social capital, with qualitative and historical research placing more emphasis on habitus and fields. The authors suggest several ways to expand the engagement with Bourdieu’s work, and to move beyond the current methodological division of labor.


Author(s):  
Zoia Halushka ◽  
Nafus Inna

The article analyzes the nature and economic importance of social networks as one of the components of social capital. It is shown that the economic component of social capital is associated with the ability to obtain certain economic benefits from its use. Mechanisms for the accumulation of social capital contain the involvement in these processes of all its components - trust, norms, values, social networks. The network approach of J. Coleman to substantiation of economic essence of social capital is analyzed. The necessity, possibility and directions of influence of social networks on formation and increase of efficiency of social capital have been proved. The types of social networks and the possibilities of their influence on creation of connecting, horizontally-integrating and vertically integrating social capital are revealed. The rating of social networks and examples of their use to increase the efficiency of functioning of social capital are given. It is proved that networks are formed not chaotically, but purposefully, given the subjective vision of the feasibility of such interaction, and their use can have both positive and negative consequences. The possibility of using social networks to form a service-oriented state is indicated.


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