The dynamics of social capital in first-year teaching teams: a comparative case study analysis

ABSTRACT

Developing social capital in university teaching teams is a worthwhile exercise which can benefit students, educators and wider institutions through improvements in areas such as knowledge sharing, a critical component of effective teams. This case study analysis explores the social capital and knowledge sharing of two teaching teams at an Australian university. It found that strong positive signs of ‘bonding’ social capital were evident in terms of trust, relatedness and support, and these attributes were seen to be important in assisting the performance of these teams especially the sharing of knowledge. However, our research findings suggest that new information was more likely to be sourced internally rather than externally, which may pose a risk of lack of new ideas and innovation. A further finding was that existing social capital within the university teaching teams differed, suggesting that social capital development should not entail a one-size-fits-all approach. This research presents a useful social capital evaluation tool and provides leaders with the information needed to attend to group-specific nuances in developing team social capital, including knowledge sharing and access to new ideas. Meeting team-specific social capital needs through cultivating trust, belonging and support can  benefit the teaching team, students and the institution.

KEYWORDS:

• Social capital theory
• higher education
• bridging
• bonding

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lee-Anne Bye

Dr Lee-anne Bye began her degree after work within Education and Human Services. After completing her degree majoring in Communication and Social and Community Studies, Lee-anne completed an Honours degree in Sociology and a PhD in organisational management which looked at employee retention through improved workplace social capital. Lee-anne is part of the teaching and management team of a large first year course, which employs approximately 40 sessional staff. She is passionate about contributing to student success, and is particularly interested in developing social capital, both within the classroom and the wider institution.

Peter Jenner

Dr Peter Jenner embarked upon an international entrepreneurial career from his late twenties after initially working in sales and marketing management for a global fast-moving consumer goods organisation. Over the next twenty years this entailed involvement in a variety of enterprises principally focused on supporting the corporate human resources function globally. Peter’s conferred doctorate explored the factors important to the sustainability of social enterprises. His subsequent research has been published in leading sectorial journals and presented at associated conferences worldwide.

Wayne Graham

Dr Wayne Graham completed his undergraduate degree in business management following a ten-year career in the automotive industry. He then went on to complete his PhD in strategic management and gained a further four years of experience in local government. He is now an academic at the University of the Sunshine Coast and has presented his research at national and international conferences. He has published his research in peer-reviewed journals and has co-authored three case studies for an Australian strategic management textbook.