Social Capital: A Theoretical Lens for IS Research

Social capital theory is based on the notion that networks of relationships constitute an important resource for the conduct of social affairs. Unlike human capital, which rests in individuals, social capital is embedded in the networks of mutual acquaintances and relationships of the individual or the organization. As a theoretical perspective, social capital is receiving increasing attention in organization theory and management literature. IS researchers investigating socio-technical issues in areas such as IS outsourcing, knowledge management, software development, and IT enabled interorganizational linkages will find this a useful complementary theoretical approach. This paper provides a review of key literature on social capital theory, and illustrates how this could serve as an important theoretical lens to research several IS areas in organizations.