The contribution of Social Capital to Innovation Capability: An Empirical Study of the mediating role of Knowledge Sharing and Employee Engagement
Abstract
This study attempts to assess the contribution of social capital to innovation capacity, by exploring the mediating roles of knowledge sharing and employee engagement in companies in the Haliopôle cluster of Agadir; a strategic context of the city of Agadir, centered on fishing and the seafood processing industry. This study was conducted through structural equation modeling to examine the relationships between social capital, knowledge sharing, employee engagement and innovation capacity, based on a sample of 55 firms in the Haliopôle d’Agadir cluster, thus providing a diverse and representative data set.
The results provide a detailed and nuanced analysis of the links between these variables. The study did not validate the hypothesis that social capital contributes directly to innovation capacity, but showed that it facilitates knowledge sharing and strengthens employee engagement. No significant relationship was found between employee engagement and innovation capacity, suggesting that other factors may be more influential. In contrast, a positive and significant relationship was observed between knowledge sharing and innovation capacity.
Keywords: Social capital; Knowledge sharing; Commitment; Innovation capacity; Cluster
JEL Classification: O39
Paper type: Empirical Research
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