Title: The meaning of social capital in the event of organisational failure: insights into a medium-sized company

Authors: Susanne Durst; Stefan Wilhelm

Addresses: Institute for Entrepreneurship, University of Liechtenstein, Fuerst-Franz-Josef Strasse, 9490 Vaduz, Liechtenstein ' Institute for Entrepreneurship, University of Liechtenstein, Fuerst-Franz-Josef Strasse, 9490 Vaduz, Liechtenstein

Abstract: This case study of a medium-sized firm in Germany suggests how such companies experience the changing meaning of social capital in the face of organisational failure. The authors provide an analysis of the manner in which the company's managing directors responded to and behaved during an event that threatened the firm's existence. It is based on literature concerning social capital and organisational failure discussed from a small firm perspective and illustrates the fragility of social capital. More precisely, it displays the issue of trust in times of financial distress.

Keywords: social capital; trust; organisational failure; small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; case study; Germany; financial distress.

DOI: 10.1504/IJKBD.2014.059801

International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development, 2014 Vol.5 No.1, pp.50 - 62

Received: 01 Jun 2013
Accepted: 03 Jun 2013
Published online: 21 Jun 2014 *

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