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Social Capital Theory

van Bakel, M. & Horak, S. (2024). Social Capital Theory (pp. 261-267). In Hutchings, K., Michailova, S., & Wilkinson, A. A Guide to Key Theories for Human Resource Management Research, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.
Link: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035308767.ch33

Abstract
The Social Capital Theory entry includes sections that define the theory, explore developments in the theory, demonstrate specific application of the theory to HRM, and provide suggested topic areas for future research. While the idea of social capital has long histor ical roots, going back to concepts such as ‘civicness’ and ‘civic engagement’, the term social capital only became widespread in the 1980s and 1990s. This has led to many definitions, one
of which is the one of Nahapiet and Ghoshal (1998: 243): ‘the sum of actual and potential resources embedded within, available through, and derived from the network of relationships possessed by an individual or social unit’. The concept of social capital has been applied to organisations, where it can contribute to organisational success. The entry discusses positive outcomes, for example in terms of knowledge management, talent management and diversity and inclusion, but also dark sides or risks, and how social capital is a construct that originated in the West.

Keywords
Social Capital Theory, Human Resource Management (HRM), Sustainable HRM, Talent Management, Diversity and Inclusion.


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