The document presents a study on the relationship between social capital and flexible work organization models in European countries from 1990 to 2005. It analyzes how social capital embodied in organizations' social contexts influences the use of new work forms at the national level. The study finds generally positive correlations between trust as a measure of social capital and dimensions of high-performance work systems in Southern European countries. Nordic countries show a similarly homogeneous positive relationship, while Ireland and the UK have more similar results. Limitations include only measuring one facet of social capital and using correlation, which requires further investigation of regional similarities.

1. Impact Of Social Capital On Flexible Work
Organisation Models
Comparative Study Of European Countries
Pedro Ferreira (NIDISAG), Elvira Vieira (NIDISAG), Isabel Neira (USC)
Ferreira, Vieira & Neira

2. Main Goal
Present a contribution to the understanding of the relation
between social capital and work organization models,
namely the importance of social capital in promoting the
so called new forms of work organization, such as High
Performance Work Systems (HPWS)
Ferreira, Vieira & Neira

3. Main Goal
How?
Understand the influence that social capital embodied in organisations’
social context has on the use of new forms of work organisation at
national level, using data from thirteen European countries, between
1990 and 2005, taken from World Values Survey and European
Working Conditions Survey
Why?
The few studies that look at this relation tend to use a context-bound
approach to social capital, that is, they look at social capital as a
result of relationships developed among co-workers
Ferreira, Vieira & Neira

4. What are High Performance
Work Systems?
Dimension Sources Variables of EWCS
Job rotation Becker & Huselid, 1998; Evans & Davis, Job involve: rotating tasks with colleagues (TASK
2005; Ichniowski et al, 1997; MacDuffie, ROTATION)
1995
Teamwork Arthur, 1994; Becker & Huselid, 1998; Evans
& Davis, 2005; Guthrie, 2001; Ichniowski et
al, 1997; MacDuffie, 1995; Pfeffer, 1998
Training & learning Arthur, 1994; Becker & Huselid, 1998; Job involve: learning new things (LEARNING)
Beltrán-Martín et al. (2008); Evans & Davis,
2005; Guthrie, 2001; Ichniowski et al, 1997;
MacDuffie, 1995; Pfeffer, 1998
Open Communication Arthur, 1994; Becker & Huselid, 1998; Evans
& Davis, 2005; Guthrie, 2001; Ichniowski et
al, 1997; MacDuffie, 1995; Pfeffer, 1998
Problem solving Boxall & Macky, 2007; MacDuffie, 1995 Job involve: solving unforseen problems of your own
(SOLVING PROBLEMS)
Quality tasks performed by Arthur, 1994; MacDuffie, 1995 Job involve: assessing yourself the quality of your own work
production workers (ASSESSING QUALITY)
Decentralized decision Evans & Davis, 2005; Pfeffer, 1998 Can choose / change methods of work (WORK METHOD)
making Can choose / change speed of work (WORK SPEED)
Can choose / change order of tasks (ORDER TASKS)
Can take break when wishes (BREAKS)
Ferreira, Vieira & Neira

5. Social Capital in Organisations
• How to measure social capital: associability and trust
and as important measures of social capital
• Organisational social capital has been understood as a
resource capable of generate outcomes, namely improve
the overall organisational performance through several
practices
• The relation between social capital and work
organisation: Gant, Ichniowski & Shaw (2002) and
Gittell, Seidner & Wimbush (2007)
Ferreira, Vieira & Neira

6. Variables used in the
study
Variables Abbrev. Description Source
Positive answers to the question: “Generally
speaking, would you say that most people can
TRUST TRU World Values Survey
be trusted or that you need to be very careful
in dealing with people?”
TASK ROTATION TR Job involve: rotating tasks with colleagues
LEARNING LRN Job involve: learning new things
Job involve: solving unforeseen problems of
SOLVING PROBLEMS SP
your own
Job involve: assessing yourself the quality of European Working
ASSESSING QUALITY AQ
your own work Conditions Survey
WORK METHOD WM Can choose/change methods of work
WORK SPEED WS Can choose/change speed of work
ORDER TASKS OT Can choose/change order of tasks
BREAKS BRE Can take break when wishes
Ferreira, Vieira & Neira

7. Trust & HPWS in Southern
European Countries (1990-2005)
0,97 0,99
1,00
0,90 0,92
0,89
0,84 0,82 0,83
0,81 0,80
0,78
0,72
0,63
0,57
0,50
0,50
0,40 0,41
0,39
0,31
0,13
0,05
0,01
0,00
-0,39
-0,50
-0,90
-1,00
Italy Spain Portugal
TR LRN SP AQ WM WS OT BRE
Pedro Ferreira

8. Trust & HPWS in Western European
Countries (1990-2005)
0,99 0,98
1,00 0,95
0,89
0,80 0,82
0,78
0,51
0,50 0,45
0,34
0,31 0,28
0,23 0,23
0,16 0,16
0,10
0,00
0,00
-0,08
-0,13 -0,12
-0,16 -0,18
-0,23 -0,25
-0,27 -0,26 -0,27
-0,32
-0,50 -0,42
-0,54
-0,73 -0,72
-0,80
-0,85
-0,90 -0,91
-1,00 -0,97
-0,99
-0,99
Austria Belgium France Germany Netherlands
TR LRN SP AQ WM WS OT BRE
Pedro Ferreira

9. Trust & HPWS in Northern European
Countries (1990-2005)
Chart 3 - Correlation between Trust and HPWS variables for Northern European Countries
(1990-2005)
0,990,990,99
1,00 0,96
0,85 0,84
0,80 0,81
0,78
0,73 0,73
0,70 0,67
0,62
0,51 0,53 0,52
0,49 0,50
0,50
0,41 0,40 0,37
0,33
0,26 0,25
0,20
0,14
0,09
0,01
0,00
-0,01
-0,09 -0,08
-0,19 -0,17
-0,21
-0,32
-0,41 -0,42
-0,50
-0,58
-1,00 -0,95
Denmark Finland Irland Sweden UK
TR LRN SP AQ WM WS OT BRE
Pedro Ferreira

10. Concluding Remarks
Southern countries present a relatively homogeneous
scenario, showing a generalized positive impact of trust
on work organization dimensions
Nordic countries also present a homogeneous situation,
with Finland and Sweden with more similar results
There is an interesting similarity between Ireland and UK,
the Anglo-Saxon countries
Ferreira, Vieira & Neira

11. Limitations & Future research
Limitations
2. The fact that it is an exploratory study
3. Trust is only of the multiple facets of social capital and, thus, this
variable can present a problem because it does not capture the
whole dimensions of social capital
4. The correlation is a raw statistic tool that allows a first impression
on the relation between variables
Further research
7. The similarities between some countries should be further
investigated, in order to understand the deepness of regional
similarities
8. Include other dimensions of social capital in order to fully
understand the relation between work organisation models and
social capital
Ferreira, Vieira & Neira