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.