The Impact of Social Capital on Innovation in Selected Countries

Using panel data method, this study examines the effects of different dimensions of social capital on innovation at the societal level across 21 countries (19 Asian countries plus Russia and Egypt) for the period 1995-2011. Dimensions of social capital that have been considered in this study include generalized trust, trust toward friends, institutional trust, civic participation, and norms of civic behavior. We use Fully Modified OLS (FMOLS) method to estimate the model. Our empirical findings suggest that in Asian countries some aspects of social capital such as trust toward friends, generalized trust and norms of civic behavior have a positive and significant effect on innovation. But civic participation and institutional trust have no significant impact on innovation. Moreover, we find that human capital and R & D expenditure have a positive effect on innovation in these countries.