The low level of Organizational Social Capital in hotels – a New Zealand case study

Abstract

Hotels, like other organizations, are constantly seeking to increase productivity; however, achieving this can be more challenging for service sectors organizations. Developing and maintaining a positive level of Organizational Social Capital (OSC) — an organizations soft asset — is said to be a productivity enhancement strategy; therefore, measuring and monitoring OSC is important. This research presents the New Zealand hotel industry’s first measurement of OSC level. This is the initial stage within a longitudinal study to understand how OSC impacts productivity. A total of 509 employees from 31 hotels participated in this research, with the major finding and concern being the low level of OSC.