Spring scientific day of Axis 2 "Organizations: contracts, institutions, risks".

Presentation

Speakers : Caroline Beltran, Laurent Botti

Title: SME management specificities and social capital: building a theoretical model and typological analysis of actors in a territorial network

Summary: The literature advocates the development of inter-organizational collaborations to remedy SMEs' lack of resources, but a paradox emerges between the SME-specific wall phenomenon and the need to create collaborations constituting a network of complementary and/or competitive relationships. Moreover, the literature underlines that the generation of inter-organizational relationships depends not only on a physical network of actors, but also on the presence of quality social capital. Assessing the social capital of SME managers would therefore enable us to diagnose the relational quality of the network. With this in mind, this article proposes a theoretical model of social capital adapted to the specificities of SME management. Its measurement model is based on network analysis and social capital measurement scales. It is operationalized for the Pyrénées Ariégeoises tourist destination network via a typological analysis. The results reveal several profile groups highlighting the relative presence of social capital, and questioning the possible denaturation of SMEs in one group in particular.