Purpose This study explores the impact of social capital on service firm supply chains.Design/methodology/approach The theoretical underpinnings of social capital is reviewed from various disciplines, including sociology, management, and operations management. This is used to develop a conceptual model of the use of social capital in a service supply chain setting.Findings - Social capital is proposed to improve the operational performance of service firms as a source of both physical and information resources. The impact of social capital is projected to vary by firm size and service type. Small firms have limited resources and thus a need for resources obtained through social capital. Service firms that have high customization and customer contact are subject to process variations which can be mitigated by social capital. A conceptual model is presented to test several propositions related to social capital.Originality/value The impact of social capital has not been widely studied in an operational setting. This is the first known study to specifically analyze the impact of social capital in service supply chains.

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Trust and related concepts are often discussed as representing important behaviors of good leaders. We empirically tested these concepts to obtain insight into what builds trust between leaders and followers from the employee's perspective. This was accomplished through a questionnaire with 409 respondents. The results were tested empirically through both regression and structural equation modeling. Both models indicate a good fit with statistical significance for what these respondents feel build trust with their leader. The behaviors identified in this study as enhancing perceptions of trust in leaders are demonstrated by managers who behave ethically, positively influence organizational culture, treat employees fairly and consistently, encourage employee growth and development, and promote work-life balance. Our results contribute to the extant literature by empirically validating this unique set of behaviors that model trust-building with followers. This should provide practitioners with a guide for trust-building and enable researchers to further develop and test the model and its implications for organizational commitment and performance, as well as form a base for trust scale development similar to Robinson (1996).

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