Thesis (M.S.W.)--Smith College School for Social Work, Northampton, Mass., 2007 / Thesis submitted in partial fulfillment for the degree of Master of Social Work. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 59-64)

Thesis (Ph.D.) - James Cook University, 2005. / Typescript (photocopy) Bibliography: leaves 286-302.

Thesis (M.A.)--Miami University, Dept. of Geography, 2009. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 56-59).

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 127-131).

Thesis (M.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 127-131) Also available in print.

D. Litt. et Phil / The study focuses on the role of social capital in socio-economic development in developing political economies. While the concept of social capital originated as a sociological construct focusing on social relations, the theoretical debate has recently developed towards a grounding in political science, political development and political economy. Despite these advancements, a universally accepted definition has not been arrived at. However, there is consensus regarding the elements of social capital, which include norms, networks, institutions, relationships, civic engagement, membership of voluntary associations, trust, reciprocity and altruism. Dimensions of social capital include the structural and the cognitive, and types include bonding, bridging and linking social capital. This study examines the role of linking social capital, specifically in facilitating the relationship between state and society, aimed at mutual benefit. Social capital is regarded as a resource, particularly in communities with limited or no access to other, more traditional forms of capital. Operationalisation of social capital is examined by means of a comparative and analytical review of existing indexes, case studies and surveys. In this regard, initiatives in both developed and developing political economies are examined. The study emphasises the multi-disciplinary nature of social capital and propagates its value in socio-economic development. Empirical data that confirm the relationship between social capital and economic growth are presented. Initiatives to contribute to the development of conceptual frameworks and to increase and improve qualitative data are assessed, in order to determine the contribution of social capital to socio-economic development. In this regard, particular emphasis is placed on the important contribution of the World Bank’s Social Capital Initiative. The literature emphasises the interdependence of politics and economy and the study highlights the need for a political economy approach to socio-economic development. In this regard, the development initiatives of various multi-lateral development agencies are examined. The focus is on the current trend to follow a political economy approach to country strategies, programmes and projects aimed at achieving socio-economic development. The study concludes that social capital is a valuable element in this regard and argues that political economy analysis tools are well placed to integrate social capital in a multi-disciplinary approach to address poverty and socio-economic development challenges.

Microfinance Performance and Social Capital: A Cross-country AnalysisThis paper investigates the relationship between the extent to which social capital formation is facilitated within different societies, and the financial and social performance of MFIs. We carry out a cross-country analysis on a dataset containing 100 countries. We identify different social dimensions that we use as proxies for how easy social capital can be developed in different countries, and we hypothesize that microfinance is more successful, both in terms of their financial and social aims, in societies that are more conducive to the development of social capital. Our empirical results support our hypothesis. / Defining Social Collateral in Microfinance Group Lending: Microfinance group lending with joint liability allows asset-poor individuals to replace physical collateral by social collateral. This paper provides a theoretical framework to evaluate the impact of social collateral pledged by group borrowers on group lending repayment. We take into account the external ties of group borrowers, i.e. the social ties linking borrowers to non-borrowers from their community, whereas previous work in this field has looked solely at internal ties (i.e. ties between group members). Our model stresses the impact of network configuration on the amount of social capital pledged as collateral. It shows why the group lending methodology works better in rural areas than in urban areas, namely because rural social networks are typically denser than urban ones, which results in higher social collateral. / The Economic Value of Social Capital:Empirical studies on the importance of social capital for poor households show divergent outcomes. This divergence may stem from the lack of a conceptual framework for capturing the social capital dimensions that deliver economic value to individuals. This paper defines individual social capital from an economic perspective and proposes a measurement based on the two dimensions of individual social capital that bring economic value to individuals: (1) informal risk insurance arrangements and (2) information advantages that arise from personal social networks. Using this measurement, I present a numerical application to argue that differing network configurations drive asymmetry of social interactions among individuals. / Social Capital and the Repayment of Microfinance Group Lending: A Case Study of Pro Mujer Mexico:In this paper, we investigate how social networks of group borrowers come into play in joint liability group lending. We use a large, original dataset with 802 mapped social networks of borrowers from Pro Mujer Mexico. We are the first to examine external ties, that is, social ties with individuals outside the borrowing group. We have two main findings. First, borrowers with stronger informal risk insurance arrangements are in better economic shape and have a higher capacity to pay than borrowers with weaker informal risk insurance arrangements. Second, borrowers who pledge valuable ties as social collateral have fewer repayment problems. We postulate that borrowers receive effective help from their ties in cases of need. / Doctorat en Sciences économiques et de gestion / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

This study explores the role of social capital in the development of employability skills and attributes of first generation undergraduate students in a business school. The research, based on the reflections of graduates, examines the impact of social capital on participation in higher education and investigates the conditions within the learning environment which enhance or inhibit the development of bridging and linking social capital, as students connect with networks within the institution and with the wider business community. The findings suggest that the ability to recognise and activate bridging and linking social capital is an important determinant of employability. The analysis illustrates that when students have opportunities to connect with and work within a variety of networks, they build a range of employability skills and capabilities, particularly the interpersonal and social skills valued by employers. Students, who are confident and have the necessary skills to participate in a variety of networks within the immediate environment and with the wider business community, are not only able to access a greater range of resources but are more able to recognise the potential benefits that these activities have to offer. The reflections of the participants also illustrate that the skills and competencies which enable them to network effectively need to be developed deliberately. By supporting students in recognising the relationship between bridging and linking social capital and employability, and giving them the opportunity to reflect upon the achievement of interpersonal skills and affective capabilities, including the importance of relating to diverse others, their understanding and acknowledgement of employability will be enhanced. The study also reflects on Quinn’s concept of imagined social capital and considers its impact on the development of employability. Building on her work, the analysis identifies two new typologies; unimagined and unimaginable social capital. Both categories are important in understanding how students acknowledge the potential networks and resources available to them.

Entrepreneurship is the process of transforming an idea into a tangible product or service that can be traded. High-growth entrepreneurial firms contribute a disproportionate share of all new jobs created by new firms. Past research has shown that a significant percentage of the population in a society is employed in entrepreneurial firms and small businesses. Entrepreneurship drives economic growth by stimulating innovation, by commercializing new technologies, by intensifying competition and by generating employment. Typically seven out of ten new employer firms last at least two years, and about half survive five years. One critical area of study is investigating the factors that contribute to the success of a new venture. Social capital and social networks are two such important determinants of entrepreneurial success. Social Capital is the sum of the actual and potential resources embedded within, available through, and derived from the network of relationships possessed by an individual or social unit (Nahapiet and Ghoshal,1998).This study investigates the relationship between the social capital of the firm , its key founders and new venture performance. The independent variables are Social Capital of the firm with its associates, Social Capital of the firm with its customers, Social Capital of the founder in entrepreneurial networks, Social Capital of the founder with his/her alumni networks and Social Capital of the founder with his/her ex-colleagues. These relationships are studied under the framework of ties, trust, obligation and expectations, identification, shared language and shared values. New Venture Performance has been measured using both perceptual measures and financial measures. The perceptual measures used are Employee and Customer Retention & Founders Satisfaction with the venture’s performance. The financial measure used is Revenue normalized by the age of the firm. Data was collected through a questionnaire survey and administered to key founders of 28 software startups in Bangalore. The age of these startups ranged from 1 to 6 years. The results of correlation analysis, T-tests and Mann Whitney tests revealed that only Social Capital of the firm with its business associates and Social Capital of the founder with his/her ex-colleagues are significantly correlated with the new venture performance measured as Employee and Customer Retention. Any network is as good as the people belonging to it. Social networks will be significantly beneficial for entrepreneurial success to the extent of the ability and the willingness of the members in the network to help each other.

The current global environment is vibrant, volatile and highly competitive. Many developing societies and emerging economies are seeking to establish ways in which they can gain advantages at the international level but also lay the basis for strong societies with exemplary economic, social and moral foundations. Towards this end, these countries are investing energies in building a skilled citizenry and socially mobile, achievement-driven, populations. One such society is the rapidly changing Republic of Korea. One of the catalysts for change in Korea has been argued to be education. Educational access has been linked to changes in economic status and to potentially the undermining of inequality and flattening of class hierarchies. Some authors argue that Korea has been gripped by an ‘education fever’ and others argue that persisting educational inequalities reflect differences largely in terms of social capital – rather than economic capital. This thesis uses quantitative survey methodology to explore differences in the educational achievement of Korean high school students. Eleventh (11th) grade students in three ‘achieving schools’ with varied characteristics were subjects of the study. The purpose was to establish the factors driving achievement in these schools. It was believed that the identification of various factors which influence high achievement on the part of some students might offer insight into how low achievement can be addressed and the base of exceptional educational achievement broadened. Parents and teachers were also respondents in this study. Social capital and its physical, relational, structural, and cognitive dimensions present the conceptual and analytical tools of the study. These concepts were explored in terms of the ideas of the founding theorists – Bourdieu, Coleman and Putnam – and applied to three different domains: family, school and community. The findings suggest that high achievement is linked centrally to familial social capital. Boarding school, whether students who live at home have both parents present, and mothers collecting information from school serve as significant determinants of achievement. Together, Korean mothers and fathers can and do carve important outcomes when they are actively engaged in their children’s learning. As far as school social capital is concerned, physical background and public school status were deemed important. Residential district was the most significant component of community social capital. At a theoretical level, the study finds Coleman’s arguments most relevant in the Korean context, in particular his views on parental involvement and socio-economic status and the ways in which networks of trust and reciprocity augment achievement. The study makes an original contribution in the way it adapts theory and builds novel evidence in the Korean context. The study concludes with a list of key recommendations. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Sociology / DPhil / Unrestricted