Management Theories in Practice(C18MT)

Name: Lee Wen Syuen

Student ID: H00351307
Word Count:1397 word
Tutor Name: Ms. Lim Wee Ling
 Introduction

Nowadays, social media has been a part of our life, it is easy to access and helps us

to keep up the trend. People of the same age are “linked by similar world view

because they share common life-shaping experiences during their late teens and

early twenties” (Yoon, Cole & Michelle, 2009). In perspective of social capital theory,

this study strives to investigate college students’ WeChat usages for searching

information and sharing comments in youth league campus (YLC) activities. The

data were conducted by Chen X, Ma J, Wei J, Yang S, titled “The role of perceived

integration in WeChat usages for seeking information and sharing comments: A

social capital perspective, Information and amp; Management” (2020). This paper

will be starting off by theoretical framework of chosen theory and followed up by the

analysis and the conclusion at last.

Theoretical Framework

Social Capital are often seen from different perspective by different theorists, but

most of them allude to the characteristic of social capital as for example, shared

norms, values, connections, relationships, community. Consistent with Pierre

Bourdieu (1986), Social capital introduce “the aggregate of the actual or potential

resources which are linked to possession of a durable network of more or less

institutionalized relationships of mutual acquaintance and recognition – or in other

words, to membership of a group – which provides each of its members with the

backing of the collectively-owned capital, a ‘credential’ which entitles them to credit,

in the various senses of the word.” Social capital provides resources that can be a

tool for demonstrating options and opportunities among individuals and groups. It

also provides a standing credit and secure for every other. Meanwhile, Alejandro
Portes (2010) declared that the social capital is a capability of performer to assured

profits as a results of membership in social structures social networks or other social

networks.

However, James Coleman explained that the social capital is defined by its

function. “It isn’t one entity, but a spread of various entities having two characteristics

in common: all of them contains of some aspect of social structure, and that they

facilitate certain actions of people who are within the structure” (Coleman 1990: 302).

He claimed that norms, information potential, obligation and expectations and

authority relations, effective sanctions are the manifestation of social capital. From

Robert D. Putnam (2000) Perspective, Social capital is "connections among

individuals – social networks and therefore the norms of reciprocity and

trustworthiness that arise from them." There have three components including social

networks, moral obligations and norms, and social values in Putnam's concept of

social capital. The outcome of the region’s successful accumulation of social capital

is that if a specific area features a high level of political affiliation and a functional

financial set-up consistent with Putnam’s central thesis. (Putnam 1993). Social

Capital as defined by Robert Putnam is the interactions between individuals in our

society, it’s what hold us together and allows people to work together.

Furthermore, Bonding social capital, Bridging Social Capital and Linking

social capital are the three basic sorts of social capital. Bonding social capital

connects folks that are alike and bridging social capital draw people who are different

together (Putnam, Goss 2001: 28-29). Social Capital can be studied by measuring

the structure of people’s personal networks. the presence of diverse- weak ties is a

good measure of bridging social capital, while the presence of close densely knit ties

is a good indicator of bonding social capital. Bonding social capital is describing to

the relationships which share an equivalent background which may form quickly and

have a robust and close ties. Michael Woolcock propose that “bridging social capital

are often horizontal or vertical so one single category misses the important aspect of

the exercise of power that is important in vertical associations While bridging social

capital is about building connection that cut across ties to make mobility from

different backgrounds.” “Bridging describe social relationships of exchange, often of

associations between people with shared interests or goals but contrasting social

identity” (Pelling, Mark and Chris High,2005). “Linking” (Woolcock 1998) declared

that ties across groups or individuals that are very economically, socially or culturally

distant from divergence of society, culture or strata and which could elucidate

respect, cooperation and trust beyond them. This are used among members of

voluntary organizations including employees of an equivalent company. In

conclusion, bonding social capital are significant with instant suppuration, but linking

and bridging social capital provided a lane to deep-rooted survival and community

revitalization and wider neighbourhood (Hawkins and Maurer, 2010).

Social capital is suchlike sophisticated notion which it’s not probable to be

constitute by each and every figure or measure. The diverse dimension’s required

sets of index to be useful (Cox and Caldwell 2000). Deliberations of the

measurement of social capital inescapably cast back the conceptual debates on

social capital itself, specifically, whether social capital could be calculated at a

personal or association level (Baum and Ziersch 2003). The calculation of Social

Capital simply counted on trust and reciprocity, shared norms and values social

networks. Social Capital was defined as “networks alongside shared norms, values

and understandings that facilitate cooperation within or among groups”.

(OECD,2001)
 Analysis

Based on the appendix, it’s state that within the context of this study, the

college student is in all probability to ascertain the activity information of YLC that is

of interest to them, once they expand a high level of social interaction bind with other

members within the YLC WeChat group. The college student gets to feel more

connected and empowered to the world around them, while they are in the same

group.

According to social interaction bind, the correlation of student that choose to

use WeChat is to be conversant in one another. Through the time invested and

energy of interactions with WeChat friend in YLC activities, WeChat user will develop

strong and shut ties. In reality, the social circle of WeChat mostly comprises families,

friends, and colleagues, so it allows them to trust each other with no doubt. This

related to the bonding social capital that allow the community to operate inside.

However, friendship can also lead to bridging social capital when it comes to persons

from diverse socioeconomic background, cultural background, or age, who may in

order to come up with approach to information and other groups or individuals not

previously acquaint to one another. Regardless, the intensity of relationship between

college students may have an optimistic outcome on their objective to take part in

activities of YLC. As for example, Che and Chao(2014) pose that the purpose to use

social networking sites like WeChat reflect an optimistic result end in trust.

WeChat provides users with a personal space that indicates that only those

person you have been admitted into the friend list can read and comments on your

posts (Gan, 2017). In practical society, the selection of WeChat as a social media

platform are being boost by the college students for partaking comments and
searching statement among students with resemble value, targets, or experiences.

The capital in these relationships are real or virtual and consist of social networks,

trust and norms (Portes, 1998; Williams, 2006). WeChat emphasizes the connection

between the foundation and conservation of social relationships between the online

and offline world. It’s also the trust that comes from interactions between individuals,

small groups, clubs, civic engagement and all those sorts of activities that help us

work together and help us to build trust in one another. The activities which linked

everyone together essentially make the community stronger.

Conclusion

The results show that the time spent on WeChat can promote the subjective well-

being of college students, which is likely because social media technology can

contribute members with a convenient and effective way to bond with others,

Integration with people enhances satisfaction in host society, give and get emotional

and social support, (Pang, 2018c, Wen et al., 2016). Social Capital encompasses

there sources that can be access from people in social network, people regarding

online or offline. Based on the current social capital theory, this study aims to

investigate how WeChat usage was linked with sharing comments and seeking

information in the YLC WeChat group. At the same time, through social interactions,

indirect network externalities could affect users' perceived social value. Social

Capital has played a vital role in our social interaction with others, in fact results may

not always be good, there is still some negative impacts.

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