Social Capital in Management Information Systems Literature

Abstract

Social capital represents resources or assets rooted in an individual’s or group’s network of social relations. It is a multidimensional and multilevel concept characterized by diverse definitions and conceptualizations, all of which focus on the structure and/or on the content of the social relations. A common conceptualization of social capital in information systems research consists of a structural, relational and cognitive dimension. The structural dimension represents the configuration of the social network and the characteristics of its ties. The relational dimension epitomizes assets embedded in the social relations, such as trust, obligations, and norms of reciprocity. The cognitive dimension is created by common codes, languages and narratives, and represents a shared context that facilitates interaction. To singular or collective network members, social capital can be a source of solidarity, information, cooperation, collaboration and influence. Ultimately, social capital has been and will remain sound theoretical grounding upon which to study information systems affected by social relationships and their embedded assets.

Scaling Across Functional Domains: A Case of Implementing an Electronic HIV Patient Information System in Sierra Leone

“…Challenges are identified globally with regards to HIS development, implementation, usage, and sustainability in healthcare organizations (Alwan et al, 2016;Berg, 2001;Kimaro & Nhampossa, 2007). These challenges include an inability to properly leverage opportunities offered by capacities and resources rooted in ecosystems of social, institutional, and technological relationships to improve the situation (Ali-Hassan, 2013;Lane, 2011;Msiska & Nielsen, 2018). In addition there is lack of appropriate strategies to support solutions development and implementation, which is reflected in the high rates of HIS project failures reported in the literature .…”