Social capital: an asset or a liability to entrepreneurial activity? Online publication date: Tue, 27-Jan-2009
by Lars Ronning
International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business (IJESB), Vol. 7, No. 2, 2009
Abstract: This study has outlined a framework for studying social capital related to entrepreneurial activity. An acknowledgement of both positive and negative effects of social capital, as well as a distinction between business-related and civil society-related social capital, has led to a framework that focuses upon enabling versus disabling business-related social capital and encouraging versus discouraging civil society-related social capital. A representative sample consisting of 712 Norwegian farm households, in which 20% were engaged in entrepreneurial activity, was analysed to investigate hypothesised association between social capital and entrepreneurial activity. The analysis found evidence of enabling social capital in terms of diverse networks and in terms of strong ties that could facilitate cooperation. It also found disabling social capital in terms of overembeddedness in the farming community. Other results indicate that improved measures are needed to address civil society-related social capital.
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business (IJESB):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:
Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.
If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com
Our Blog 
Follow us on Twitter 
Visit us on Facebook