A meta-analysis on the impact of social capital on firm performance in China's transition economy

Abstract

There is almost no research consensus on the influence of social capital on firm performance in China, which motivates our study in this paper. Our research aim here is to identify the effect of contextual and methodological moderators on the relationship between social capital and firm performance in China's transition economy. Meta-analysis is employed to explore the impact of social capital on firm performance and to identify moderators affecting the relationship based on 106 independent studies between 2008 and 2018. The results demonstrate that the social capital-performance link is positive and significant in China. Particularly, social capital has a stronger positive relationship with performance in high-tech industries or in low-level marketization. Meanwhile, the social capital-performance link depends on the specific performance measures and dimensions. The paper clearly indicates the value of cultivating social capital and reveals that distinct types of social capital are needed at different points in different industries and market areas.