Consumer-citizens mobilizing social capital following a natural disaster: effects on well-being

Abstract

Purpose: This paper aims to demonstrate how vulnerable consumer-citizens mobilize social capital following a natural disaster, showing how different forms of social capital contribute to well-being and resilience. Design/methodology/approach: An embedded case study design comparing three different social networks is employed. Findings: Understanding the active role consumer-citizens play in provisioning within social networks provides a deeper understanding of the important mechanisms that explain how different forms of social capital contribute to well-being. The three identified networks demonstrate different structural signatures composed of differing forms of social capital that arise following a natural disaster. Research limitations/implications: Drawing on social capital theory, this study contributes to advancing transformative service research, providing implications for both theory and practice. Originality/value: This study is one of the first to empirically compare networks in a natural disaster context, demonstrating the effects of bonding, bridging and linking social capital on well-being and community resilience. This study shows how social network analysis can be used to model network processes and mechanisms. Findings highlight the important role of social provisioning to vulnerable consumer-citizens as an alternate form of consumption.