The Role of Social Capital in Realizing the Human Capital Development Strategy of Sari Municipality

Mohsen Monfared Hemmatabadi¹ Ali Gorji Karsami²

1) M.A. in Business Management, Finance Concentration, Islamic Azad University, Babol Branch
2) Ph.D. Student in Sociology of Social Problems of Iran, Kharazmi University, Tehran

IOI Code : ABFK-ABFDGB
Publication : The third international conference on new researches in management, law, humanities and entrepreneurship(icmlhe.ir)
Abstract :
    In recent years, attention to the human and social dimensions of urban management, especially in service institutions such as municipalities, has become one of the requirements for sustainable urban development. The present study was conducted with the aim of analyzing the role of social capital in realizing the human capital development strategy in Sari Municipality. Social capital, as a foundation of trust, interaction, cooperation, and cohesion among employees, can provide a platform for the growth and flourishing of human capacities within the organization. The current study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey in terms of nature. The statistical population consists of all official and contractual employees of Sari Municipality, totaling 500 people. Using a random cluster sampling method and based on the Krejcie and Morgan table, 217 individuals were selected as the sample. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire based on the components of social capital (social trust, social participation, social relations, and social cohesion) and human capital development indicators. The reliability of the questionnaire based on Cronbach’s alpha 0.84, and its content validity was confirmed by academic experts. A one-sample t-test was used to test the hypotheses. The results showed that the mean score of all social capital components was higher than the criterion value, and they have a positive and significant effect on the realization of the human capital development strategy. The findings indicate that social capital, by strengthening employee trust and participation, leads to the promotion of organizational learning, empowerment, and the improvement of human capital effectiveness in Sari Municipality. Accordingly, the attention of urban managers to policies and programs that increase mutual trust, inter-departmental cooperation, and cohesion within the organizational structure is considered a key strategy in the human resources development of municipalities.

Keywords : social capital human capital development social participation organizational trust social relations social cohesion