نقش مولفه‌های سرمایه اجتماعی در ارتقاء عملکرد با تاکید بر تبادل دانش و نوآوری

Social capital encompasses the norms, values, and social relationships governing an organization, which can influence its performance by enhancing communication, trust, and inter-organizational collaboration. This, in turn, facilitates the exchange and dissemination of knowledge. The present study aims to identify the relationship between social capital components and the processes of knowledge exchange and innovation, using hospitals in Mashhad as a case study to develop a model applicable to other healthcare organizations.
This research is classified as applied in terms of its objectives and employs a descriptive-correlational approach for data collection. The statistical population comprises managers and staff of COVID-19-designated hospitals in Mashhad, including Imam Reza, Ghaem, and Akbar hospitals. A total of 160 participants were selected using convenience sampling. A standardized questionnaire, based on the study by Kim and Shim (2018), was distributed among the participants, encompassing seven key variables: network density, network centrality, relational social capital, cognitive social capital, knowledge exchange, innovation, and performance. The validity of the questionnaire was assessed through confirmatory factor analysis, convergent and divergent validity, while its reliability was measured using Cronbach's alpha and composite reliability.
Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed for data analysis using SMART-PLS software. The findings from hospitals treating COVID-19 patients indicate a significant positive impact of social capital on knowledge exchange. Moreover, network density, network centrality, relational social capital, and cognitive social capital were found to have a significant and positive effect on knowledge exchange. Additionally, knowledge exchange positively influenced both innovation and performance. The results further confirm that social capital enhances organizational performance through the mediating role of knowledge exchange, while the impact of knowledge exchange on performance is also mediated by innovation.