Social capital is broadly conceptualised as consisting of resources and network ties embedded in the social structures and relationships that facilitate beneficial outcomes for the actors within those structures. Despite the number of research studies on social capital, there have been fewer attempts to examine social capital in the context of service-oriented firms, particularly in the Asia Pacific. This is surprising as the service industry plays an important role in the global services trade transactions and business activities. Social capital enables and maintains social relations for business transformation for service-oriented firms. Indeed, it would be unimaginable for any economic activity, particularly in service-oriented firms, to occur without social capital. This examination of social capital in the Asia Pacific region provides the context for recognising the cultural, social and economic opportunities and challenges of several Asia Pacific countries that can potentially enrich our knowledge and understanding of the region. Contributions are drawn from cases based in Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea, China and Australia, for relevant application in the areas of social capital and service-oriented firms in the Asia Pacific. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Asia Pacific Business Review.

Between 1984 and 1994 Thailand had the most rapid economic expansion in the world. This 1998 book offers an explanation of this successful record of economic growth in Thailand, and in Southeast Asia more generally. The book explains why Thai leaders adopted a market-driven strategy from the late 1950s, and also shows how the overseas Chinese in Thailand built on their community's social capital to overcome the market failures common to all developing countries. Unger takes an interdisciplinary approach, building on the literatures of social capital and embedded autonomy. He considers the unique organization of Thai society, and the impact this has had on the country's institutions, and their political and economic outcomes. The book includes detailed analysis of the financial and textile sectors, as well as the development of heavy industries and transportation infrastructure.

The purpose of this volume is to highlight the impacts on civic engagement of social capital, and its various component parts (trust, norms, networks and associations), in diverse parts of Asia. Addressing the pressing need for improved governance within the spatial, political and cultural realities in the rapidly transforming landscapes of Asia, the contributors to the book bring together interdisciplinary work that focuses on the ways in which civic engagement can link with social capital building. The goal of this volume is to inspire policy that recognizes that a vibrant society with access to rich stores of positive social capital requires civil society, alternate civilities and the state. The result is a dialogue on the interplay of social capital and civic engagement in socio-political contexts quite different from those found in the West. This book contributes to current discussions about the nature of social relations and their connection to politics and change and offers a unique lens into the validity of these important concepts in contemporary research across a variety of Asian settings. It will be of interest to social scientists across the board, especially those with an interest in Asia and Asian development.

There are, in simple terms, three principal kinds of capital that come necessarily into play when a society is evolving towards improving the lives, livelihoods, and qualities of life of its people. The first form of capital is financial – this normally includes physical forms of invested money in plant, buildings, and infrastructure. The second form of capital is human – seen simply as the level and range of skills and capabilities that are available for use in the society. When people are literate, numerate, skilled, experienced, informed, cooperative, and inquisitive, they and their societies can do much more. The third form of capital is social. Here cooperativeness shows its effects, and the rules of how that works vary greatly between societies. It is the second of these elements, human capital, that is the main focus of this book, but it overlaps with social capital extensively in these accounts and can only be understood in terms of its connections into the wider societal system. The varying patterns of its workings and influence in different Asian contexts are explained against the background of a theory of societal progress. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Asia Pacific Business Review.

This cutting edge collection focuses on the nature of civil society and its role in facilitating governance in Central Asia, considering local implications related to the concept of social capital and civil society in the Uzbek context. It discusses the complexity of the notion of social capital in post-Soviet Uzbekistan, detailing the challenges and pressures facing the Uzbek people.Challenging prevailing views on post-Soviet political transitions, the book demonstrates that successful transition to democracy and rule of law cannot be accomplished unless the concerns, fears, frustrations and local understandings of the desired political system are heard, registered and carefully interpreted. Offering a comparative study of civil society and social capital in Asia, this collection is a key read not only for scholars and students in civil governance and post-soviet transitions, but also aid agencies, foreign governments, and international organisations working with civil society groups.