Innovation, Social Capital, and Regional Policy: The Case of the Communities First Programme in Wales

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Author
Murphy, Lyndon
Pickernell, David
Thiomas, Brychan
Fuller, Daniel
Date
2017-12-20Acceptance date
2017-11-13
Date Accepted
2018-01-30
Type
Article
Publisher
Taylor&Francis Online
ISSN
2168-1376
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
This paper analyses how and why different forms of social capital are associated with different forms of innovation within the Communities First programme in Wales. Quantitative analysis shows that the Communities First programme partnerships analysed in this research are supportive of building both bonding and bridging social capital. Different types of bonding social capital appear to be positively related with two of the three types of innovative activity; it is bridging social capital which is statistically more strongly related to innovation outcomes, with some types of bonding social capital actually negatively related to hidden innovation. Whilst social capital building should not be considered a panacea for increasing levels of innovative activity within policies such as the Communities First programme. The qualitative analysis reveals multiple ways in which the Communities First programme partnerships evaluated are actively encouraging the simultaneous formation of bonding and bridging social capital, with evidence of hidden innovation and in particular social innovation being simultaneously formed. It can be stated, therefore, that regional policy aiming to develop non-traditional forms of innovation should more closely and explicitly reflect the relevance of building and maintaining particular types of bonding and especially bridging social capital.
Journal/conference proceeding
Regional Studies, Regional Science;Volume5, 2018 - Issue 1
Citation
Murphy, L.J., Pickernell, D., Thiomas, B. and Fuller, D. (2018) 'Innovation, social capital and regional policy: the case of the Communities First programme in Wales', Regional Studies, Regional Science, 5(1), pp.21-39.
Description
This article was published in Regional Studies, Regional Science on 20 December 2017 (online), available open access at https://doi.org/10.1080/21681376.2017.1405740
Sponsorship
Cardiff Metropolitan University (Grant ID: Cardiff Metropolian (Internal))
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