Workplace social capital – a new approach to the psychosocial work environment?

Abstract

Since 1990 we have been witnessing a comprehensive development in theory and research concerning the concept social capital in the fields of economy, aid to developing countries, and public health. However, the concept has only been applied to the field of work environment research to a very limited degree. In this article we introduce the concept in a work environment context. We suggest a definition of organizational social capital comprising three key factors: trust, justice, and collaborative capacity. Furthermore, we illustrate our model by analyzing data from two empirical studies: The national Danish study of psychosocial factors at work (the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) Study) and the BEST study (Better psychosocial work environment: a study of workplace interventions). In both studies we find clear associations between organizational social capital and the quality of the psychosocial work environment. We also find positive associations between workplace social capital and job satisfaction, involvement in the workplace, general health, and measures of psychological well-being. We conclude that a theory on organizational social capital has potential as a framework for research and development covering both psychosocial work environment, productivity, and the health of the employees.