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Internal versus External Social Capital and the Success of Community Initiatives: A Case of Self‐Organizing Collaborative Governance in Nepal
Author(s) -
Shrestha Manoj K.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
public administration review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.721
H-Index - 139
eISSN - 1540-6210
pISSN - 0033-3352
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-6210.2012.02622.x
Subject(s) - social capital , individual capital , agency (philosophy) , corporate governance , business , economic capital , capital (architecture) , economic growth , economics , finance , political science , human capital , sociology , social science , archaeology , law , history
Most research examining the relationship between social capital and outcomes focuses on either internal social capital or external social capital. This article examines the impact of both internal and external social capital on the success of self‐organizing community initiatives. A study of community water projects in a developing country, Nepal, shows that communities that enjoy less internal conflict and more external partnerships are more likely to be successful in securing agency funds for their projects. Also, communities face trade‐offs between internal and external social capital. These dimensions of social capital are not perfect substitutes, and communities that maintain a strategic balance between the two maximize gains from a trade‐off. Moreover, such an optimal choice is dependent on the level of internal and external social capital that these communities hold.