Workplace Social Capital and Employee Well-Being

Workplace social capital refers to the networks of relationships, shared values and mutual trust that facilitate coordination and cooperation among employees at all levels of an organisation. It comprises three interrelated dimensions: bonding social capital, which reflects close ties and solidarity among colleagues; bridging social capital, which encompasses more diverse and outward-looking connections; and linking social capital, which denotes relationships between employees and those in positions of authority. High levels of social capital create an environment in which individuals feel supported, valued and empowered, leading to enhanced job satisfaction, work engagement and psychological well-being. Conversely, low social capital has been linked to increased stress, burnout, turnover intentions and mental health problems. Across different industries and cultural settings, research has shown that interventions to strengthen informal communication, participatory decision-making and ethical leadership can foster social capital and thereby improve individual health and organisational performance. In an era of rapid digitalisation and organisational change, sustaining social capital is critical for resilience, innovation and long-term staff well-being.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Workplace Social Capital and Employee Well-Being publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in workplace social capital and employee well-being across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Workplace social capital: The stock of social relationships, shared norms and mutual trust within a work environment that facilitates collective action and support.

Bonding social capital: Close-knit relationships among homogeneous groups of colleagues that foster mutual support and solidarity.

Bridging social capital: Connections that span different groups or departments, enabling access to new information and diverse resources.

Linking social capital: Vertical ties between employees and organisational leaders that permit influence and resource exchange across hierarchies.

Psychological distress: A mental health state characterised by symptoms of anxiety, depression or emotional strain often assessed via self-report scales.

Work engagement: A positive, fulfilling work-related state of mind marked by vigour, dedication and absorption in one’s tasks.

References

1. The Relationship between Smart Working and Workplace Social Capital: An Italian Case Study on Work Sustainability. Sustainability (2024).
2. Associations between accumulating job stressors, workplace social capital, and psychological distress on work-unit level: a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health (2023).
3. Measuring social capital of healthcare organizations reported by employees for creating positive workplaces - validation of the SOCAPO-E instrument. BMC Health Services Research (2020).