Implications for HRD research
Although the notions of the knowledge economy and social capital get
ample support in the policy arena, further research is needed to provide a
scientific base for judging the claims being made. So far, the topic of social
capital has been relatively under-researched in the field of HRD. A first
8 Advances for Developing Human Resources Month 2004
important task in this respect is to develop measurements for (gains in)
social capital. How can social capital be made explicit, recognized, and
measured as objectively as possible? A second crucial area of research is
governance, management, and development of social networks in and
around work organizations. These are the main carriers of social capital, yet
we knowrelatively little about theway they may be supported and employed
effectively. The work of Wenger (1998) on building communities of practice
can be regarded as an important inspiration for this type of research.
Combining the first and second lines of research, a third area is research into
the impact of the development of social networks on social capital in the
company. How and to what extent can HRD affect organizations’ social capital?
And, finally, a fourth line of research should stretch beyond corporate
boundaries to study the impact on the broader community and society.What
is the contribution ofHRDto the advancement of diversity, equal opportunities,
workplace democracy, and so forth? How does the development of
social networks within the organization help employees raise their educational
level, their learning and networking skills, and their development as
persons who are part of a larger community? Ultimately, the reciprocal relationships
between individual growth, corporate well-being, and community
development in a knowledge economy need to be better understood. The
notion of social capital and the ideas from social capital theory are useful in
contributing to providing that understanding.