The Impact of Social Capital and Institutional Trust on Attitudes Towards Innovation

Abstract

The article examines the impact of social capital and institutional trust on attitudes towards innovation. On a sample of 6077 respondents representing 10 Russian regions, it was found that social capital and institutional trust positively influence the attitude towards technologies in general. The analysis of a specific technology (automated judicial systems) showed that the relationship can also be reversed: the lower the social capital, the more positively the respondents refer to the introduction of new technology. These results may indicate that in conditions of poor institutional environment and in spheres that require high interpersonal and institutional trust, technologies allowing people to go to depersonalized relationships may be accepted, despite the negative attitude towards technologies in general. The findings allow us to take a fresh look at the prospects of introducing breakthrough technologies depending on the socio-cultural and institutional environment and contribute to the development of research on the impact of socio-cultural factors on the economy.