Sozialkapital und Kooperation

Interfirm cooperation has proven to be a strategically promising but also an extremely precarious organizational arrangement. A clear discrepancy between the demand for flexibility, in order to be able to react quickly to complex tasks, and the mechanisms for internal stabilization are typical structural characteristics of interfirm arrangements. In view of this situation, Kai Riemer applies the concept of 'social capital' to explain management challenges on the interpersonal and the team level of interfirm collaboration. Based on a theoretical explanation of the social capital concept, the author identifies different roles of social capital in various cooperation situations. He concludes his study with practical recommendations for dealing with social capital-oriented management.