- Social capital is a new concept that has come to prominence in most branches of humanities and sociology in recent decades. It is considered as one of the main factors enhancing the norms, common values, empathy, and cooperation in the society and consolidates the humans, organizations, and governments. Undoubtedly, the two factors of social capital and development are highly important and interrelated. Social capital manifests itself in every economic, political, and cultural aspect of the society and helps citizens to overcome ... moreSocial capital is a new concept that has come to prominence in most branches of humanities and sociology in recent decades. It is considered as one of the main factors enhancing the norms, common values, empathy, and cooperation in the society and consolidates the humans, organizations, and governments. Undoubtedly, the two factors of social capital and development are highly important and interrelated. Social capital manifests itself in every economic, political, and cultural aspect of the society and helps citizens to overcome their collective problems. Similarly, at the individual level, individuals who have this capital are more inclined toward a healthier and happier life and cooperation in social activities and so, enjoy higher life quality. When social capital is present in a society, the government puts its plans more effectively into practice, but when social capital is frail, the government cannot manage various crises well. Social capital even influences other types of capital such as physical and human ones.
Due to the importance of social capital, this journal intends to explicate the concept of social capital – especially from the viewpoint of Islam – and provide ways to enhance it at various individual, organizational, inter-organizational, and social levels so that a healthy, happy, and religious society is attained.edit
Article type: Research Article An online brand community is a network of people who are interested in and loyal to a brand that comes together. The aim of the current research was to identify the dimensions of social capital in online... more
Article type: Research Article An online brand community is a network of people who are interested in and loyal to a brand that comes together. The aim of the current research was to identify the dimensions of social capital in online brand communities with an emphasis on customer-based brand equity in Iraqi telecommunication companies. The research was of a qualitative nature and was carried out using the technique of theme analysis. Twenty-five experts in the fields of e-marketing and social marketing, with an emphasis on social networks and the telecommunications sector, were selected by the targeted non-probability sampling method. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were completed when the criterion of theoretical saturation was reached. The data were analyzed with the five-stage model of Castleberry and Nolen (2018). According to the results, 45 final codes appeared, which were categorized into two categories: functional characteristics of the online brand community and social capital of it. The functional features included information functions, facilitating members' activism, facilitating brand affairs, and creating enjoyable experiences. The social capital of the online brand community also included five components of intra-community interactions: trust, common identity, value, and showing the human aspect of the brand. According to the findings, functional characteristics and social capital have a two-way relationship that can develop. Online brand communities can boost brand image and customer satisfaction.
