Social capital dimensions in collaborative networks: The role of linking social capital

Abstract

This paper proposes a model to analyze social capital in enterprise collaborative networks. We used qualitative and quantitative methods in a triangulation of information process. This model was built from a case study in an enterprise collaborative network, promoted by the Brazilian government. We focused on the identification of the social capital dimensions present in the network. We defend the importance of social capital evaluation in collaborative networks and the role of linking social capital, as an integrator concept. The “linking social capital” allows us to unify two approaches: one that considers only horizontal social relations and another that covers power relations. In this sense, we propose a model to analyze the linking social capital in collaborative networks, unifying the two different approaches.