In Business It's Always Been About the Social Capital

The author works within a corporate organization and critically evaluates the development of effective and valuable business relevant personal relationships and networks. Although this may not appear on balance sheets, they can have a significant impact on the bottom line – such relationships may even be an organization's unique selling point (USP) in its environment. Real work experiences have been and are reflected upon in relation to theoretical conceptualizations of social capital and social modes of knowledge production. Working managers need to develop from normal work situations and consider their added value. This chapter considers the development of social capital and its strategic nature in business along with action research and reflection as experiential management learning. It is lastly of note that although the implications of social capital is reflected upon and discussed, no definitive value or measurement for such relationships or management learning is proposed.

Work-Based Learning and Innovation

Empirical findings report an acquired mindset of innovative thinking and behavior by students participating in a dual higher education concept which integrates academic studies and workplace training. Work-based learning (WBL) innovation indicators relevant to international commerce degree students are reviewed and an approach presented that can be used to provide rigorous analysis of innovation activity by students participating in WBL. The research method involved a qualitative methodology to formulate a framework for a tentative generic WBL innovation model. Innovation indicators useful to the three-way partnership of employer, university teacher, and student are identified.

Human Capital Development

This chapter is in the area of human capital development in United Kingdom (UK) enterprises and investigates innovative methods involving an evolutionary approach. The objective is to investigate the importance of human capital development in terms of employee recruitment and selection, engagement, and the management of human capital. The research question asks, How important are these themes to human capital development? The chapter presents a collection of 12 research studies in three themes of human capital development. These are Theme 1: new forms of recruitment and selection; Theme 2: employee engagement; and Theme 3: leadership and stress management. Several methodologies have been used in the studies reported and these include case study research, mixed methods, primary and secondary data, qualitative research, questionnaire survey, semi-structured interviews, statistical evaluations, and survey research. Findings presented in the 12 studies provide evidence of the importance of human capital development in terms of employee recruitment and selection, and engagement.

The Accrual and Use of Social Capital in Workplace Innovation

Research has demonstrated the importance of social capital for individual and firm-wide success such as individual promotions and firm innovation. Much of the research on social capital examines how individuals or firms can utilize existing social capital, but there is little research that explores how capital credit is generated and accessed in the first place. This chapter proposes a new framework to explore processes of generating, accessing, and accumulating social capital in relation to workplace innovation.

Organizational Ecosystems

The aim of this chapter is to compile an up-to-date and academically grounded study into organizational ecosystems in terms of innovation and social capital dimensions. The authors are concerned with the dimensions of innovation involving traditionally measured forms of innovation, hidden innovation and social innovation, and social capital including collaboration, cooperation, as well as bridging and bonding social capital and network ties. The methodology used involved systems model formulation following the stages of the identification of the main structures, relationships and components, model building, development of an evolved organizational ecosystem model, and analysis of the model. The research question addressed the question, What are the main components of organizational ecosystems in terms of innovation and social capital dimensions? The contribution of the chapter is to bring together findings on the characteristics of organizational ecosystems in terms of the dimensions of innovation, and social capital including trust, collaboration, cooperation, and social network ties.

Measuring Social Capital

This chapter will offer a unique insight to the existence of different forms of social capital at the Technium network. The exploration of the wider Technium network outcomes such as social capital is likely to be of benefit to private sector firms, innovation policymakers, and innovation program managers. As a result, this offers a distinctive insight to the desirable intangible facets of innovation policy. Arguably, activity at Technium centers contributes to less tangible objectives of creating virtuous circles of social capital. In particular, evidence of bridging social capital is exposed. The work helps to develop conceptual and theoretical foundations for identifying different forms of social capital. The chapter will offer a unique analysis of the Technium network. The analysis of technology policy via a measurement of resultant social capital has not been previously undertaken. As a result, this chapter offers a distinctive insight to some of the desirable intangible facets of technology policy.

Key Factors in the Development of Tourism-Led Local Innovative Heritage Entrepreneurship in the South Wales Valleys

This chapter investigates key factors in the development of tourism-led local innovative heritage entrepreneurship in the South Wales Valleys. It is concerned with opportunities to develop industrial heritage tourism enterprises in the South Wales Valleys, with special reference to Merthyr Tydfil. The analysis involved key partners across community and voluntary sectors, local authorities, funding and tourism bodies under the auspices of the Welsh Government. The research reported on eight case study structured interviews and collated data to investigate, in combination with contemporary literature, key factors including network capital to achieve a sustainable regeneration scheme for innovative heritage entrepreneurship development.

Human Capital Development

The main purpose of the chapter is to provide a contemporary view of human capital (HC) based on recent research and from a theoretical perspective. Based on this, the chapter demonstrates the significance of individual knowledge, skills, and qualifications—human capital—for organizational outcomes and consequently economic growth. Although the concept of HC can be traced back to the work of Schultz with a considerable body of literature, the inherent dilemma with HC is that, unlike the organizational capital that a firm possesses, HC is an intangible asset that can simply leave and never return. Recently, an emerging stream of literature has attempted to unify both the individual and organizational level perspectives of HC and examine how they are related to competitive advantage. Given these considerations, in this chapter, HC will be viewed as a bridging concept where HC serves as a link between human resource (HR) practices and organizational performance in terms of building a worker as an asset. The chapter also presents the key approaches to HC measurement.

Social Capital and Social Identity

This chapter explores the relationships between what are complex and shifting socio-economic and political conditions and the role and connection of norms and networks of social cooperation, such as friendship networks and kinship connections within Latvia. These “connections” and “kinships” have long served as a source of “social capital” it is argued, which is beyond the immediate circle of family. Research does suggest these relationships often perform functions usually associated with formal civil society, particularly in times of need. Specifically, this chapter considers the nature and practice of blat which something, it is argued, so naturally it was not even thought about. During Soviet times, it developed into a quiet resistance against the official system making life bearable for citizens, and therefore acting to support the continued existence of the Soviet system. The chapter also considers the links between social network theory, new-institutionalism, and social capital.

The Movement of Senior Staff and Their Competencies Between Enterprises in a High Technology Cluster

The purpose of this chapter is to investigate the movement of senior staff and their competencies between enterprises in a high technology cluster (HTC). An analysis has been undertaken of the movement of senior staff between high technology enterprises. The mobility of senior staff in the cluster is considered with reference to the growth of the cluster. The findings of the research show that a local production network exists around cluster enterprises. An extensive knowledge network has been built around the enterprises facilitated by senior staff movement between them. Here it has been found that knowledge diffused by the mobility of labor involving senior staff in the high technology cluster has contributed to the cluster performing better through the generation of spinouts and the accumulation of knowledge. The approach highlights the importance of the movement of labor between enterprises in a high technology cluster in terms of understanding cluster growth dynamics and the cluster's contribution and importance to international industry.