Social Capital in the Knowledge Economy

This book analyzes the social capital of the growing knowledge economy, from both theoretical and empirical points of view. The theoretical section discusses social capital as an economic concept, developing a theory of the social capital of the enterprise. The empirical section compares aspects of the social capital of three different socio-economic systems: the US, Japan and Sweden. The book discusses a number of issues for further research.

From the reviews: "The book contains 14 chapters … . are very rich in new concepts, theories, ideas, representing a first-class contribution to the development of the literature devoted to social capital. … The whole book is written in a very exciting style, which invites the reader to reflect on the new ideas expressed … . It is a very helpful book not only for experienced academics and researchers but also for postgraduate and PhD students … . I congratulate Hans Westlund for this outstanding accomplishment … ." (Daniela-Luminita Constantin, Romanian Journal of Regional Science, Vol. 2 (1), 2008) "Westlund’s book is devoted to considering SC as a legitimate component of capital in the traditional economic triumvirate of land, labor, and capital. … The book is well written and sociologically relevant … . is richly referenced, with well over 300 sources cited, and, impressively, across a wide of range of disciplines, including sociology, political science, social theory, regional science, economics, and economic geography. This makes it a valuable resource for anyone interested in research on SC." (Howard Stafford, Journal of Regional Science, Vol. 48 (3), 2008) “Westlund writes that economic growth depends on importing and integrating external knowledge, producing new knowledge, innovating new products using newly acquired or created knowledge, and using new knowledge to market new products … . He provides overviews of the relevant histories of the places and the industries. … I enjoyed reading this book mainly because of the survey of the literature it provides. … This is a good reference book.” (Maureen Kilkenny, Papers in Regional Science, Vol. 87 (1), March, 2008)