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OR Alone? Social Capital as a Professional Asset
Presentation to the INFORMS Roundtable, Spring 2001
Michael Trick, Carnegie MellonPresident-Elect, INFORMS
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Outline What is Social Capital? Importance of Social Capital Decrease in Social Networks Implications for OR/MS
Professionals Questions for discussion
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Inspiration Presentation inspired by work in
Bowling Alone by Robert Putnam Much data and ideas taken from
this book
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Definition Social Capital : measures of the
value of social networks. Those tangible substances that count
for most in the daily lives of people: namely good will, fellowship, sympathy, and social intercourse [Hanifan, 1916]
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Social Capital Value we gain from interactions per
se Some interactions lead immediately to
human capital (you teach me something: I gain human capital; I know you as a teacher, I (and you) gain social capital)
Generally the result of ongoing, repeated interactions
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Social Capital Not a “fuzzy”, “feel-good” concept,
but a measurable aspect of life with clear economic and social implications. Careful studies show executives with
larger networks advance faster Those who volunteer time are healthier
As illustrated, cause and effect can be problematic
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Illustration
Information
Social Capital
Information Exchange
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Types of Social Capital Bonding: interactions that bind a
group together Bridging: interactions that work to
combine groups Both important but have different
implications (for getting a good job, wide social networks are often better than close-knit families)
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Why is Social Capital Important/Useful? “Lubricant” that makes
interactions go (like money in economic transactions)
Leads to Trust Reciprocity Cooperation Institutional Effectiveness
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Social Norms Social Capital (and efforts to gain
it) avoid “Tragedy of Commons” type inefficiencies
Avoids legalisms that can entrench poor choices
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Downside to Social Capital Social Capital also can lead to
Sectarianism Ethnocentrism Corruption
How can the positive aspects be maximized and the negative minimized?
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Examples of activities Working for Political Party Serving as officer in a club Church Attendence Membership in professional
organization Entertainment at home Bowled in a League
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Declines? From the introductions today “Not enough time” “Feel bad I don’t do more” “Lack of proximity” “Commuting 20 hours/week” “Used to do, but don’t do now” “Part of a generation that doesn’t
join”
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Decline of Social Capital 1970-1995
Worked for political party
7% 2.8%
Served as officer in club
10% 6%
Attended Church 42% 36%
Member of Institute of Architects
41% 28%
Entertained at home 14 9
Bowled in a league 69/ 1000
31/ 1000
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Further Sign? Informs Membership
1994 1998 1999 2000
Regular 13,100
11,752 11,058 10,499
Student 2700 2253 1985 1755
Retired 325 492 504 516
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Decline of Social Capital By almost any measure, the
activities that lead to social capital are declining after having reached a peak in 1950-1970 period
Decrease is strongest in youngest cohorts (relative to involvement of others at that age)
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Exceptions Even possible exceptions are not
encouraging Some membership organizations
have grown (Greenpeace and the like from 8/1000 to 37/1000). Membership is essentially fundraising
“Small group movement”: growth limited to “inner-directed” AA and other self-help
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What about the internet? No evidence in data yet Lots more talking, little listening Few examples of true social capital
building (issues with lack of social cues)
Huge issue remains: how can we use these technological advances to create real communities
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Effects of this decline Society is measurably more
doubtful of others (people don’t trust each other as much)
People break “little laws more” (at a set of stop signs in NY, stopping went from 38% in 1978 to 1%)
Charitable giving has decreased Many more signs of breakdown
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Why? Many suspects No one reason Careful study does remove some
possibilities: hard to blame internet when the decline from 1970 is steady
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Pressures of Time and Money Heavy time demands are more likely
to be active civically and professionally Busy people spend less time reading
books, sleeping, and (particularly) watching TV
Increasing financial anxiety during period, however decreases in engagement even correcting for this
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Pressures of Time and Money Full time employment by women (attributable
virtually entirely to financial pressures) decreases civic involvement (Porter: “Although the mothers of the current generation of American adults were usually not part of the paid labor force, they engaged in many socially productive functions. As their daughters have assumed a greater share of work outside the home, one might have expected their sons to assume a greater share of other social responsibilities but … that has not happened”)
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Sprawl and mobility Rural and small towns have been
“hotbed” of activity: now decreasing
More time spent in commute gives less time for other activities. Speed is actually up, which causes formerly self-contained towns to become bedroom communities
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Television and technology There are now 2.4 TV sets per
household, and the average household watches TV 7.5 hours/day
Isolated and isolating activity that correlates most strongly with other measures of social disengagement
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TV Usage: “TV is my primary form of entertainment”
Strongly Agree
Strongly Disagree
Volunteered 4.1 9.1
Letters written 12 18
Club meetings 5 9
Worked on community project
1.5 3
Gave finger to another driver
3 1.4
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Causation? Some interesting studies of 3
northern Canadian communities in the 1970s, one with no TV, one with one channel, and one with five.
Participation in community activities was sharply higher in “no TV” town
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Generational Shifts Two ways these changes could
come about: uniform across all ages or replacement of “civic generation” with a less civic generation
Data is clearly in favor of the latter. Matches with TV results
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Relevance to OR/MS Professionals? Clearly an important issue for
society Bowling Alone received widespread
media coverage Is there special relevance to OR/MS
professionals?YES! (I think)
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Importance of Social Capital Communication
with colleagues for Jobs New methods Support Ongoing
information
Communication externally for Funding Initiatives Professional Growth
By our very nature, this bridging social capital is key to our success (“OR waxes and wanes”)
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Effect of Bowling Alone conclusions Society membership is a poor measure
of importance of an area. OR/MS may be dying, but don’t point to INFORMS membership numbers for support.
Instead, the reverse may be true: OR/MS may be weakened by lack of emphasis on social capital issues (just as many aspects of social welfare are weak in states with little social capital).
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Effect of Bowling Alone conclusions (cont.) Societies (including the Roundtable)
may likely require more professional support to offset decreased volunteer effort.
Decreased opportunities for “bridging” social capital
Don’t think less of colleagues who don’t join: they are getting to be the norm.
“Mispricing” of social capital opportunities due to lack of experience.
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Offsetting these effects
First step in solving a problem is to recognize one exists.
Recognize social capital as a key component of our professional lives and increase supply Structured lunch tables at conferences Additional opportunities for members of
our profession, particularly young ones
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Offsetting the Effects Increase demand for social capital
Create cohorts of “bonded” individuals within the larger community (viz. the “small group movement”)
Increase rewards and professional recognition for “social capital” activities
Hide social capital activities in other actions
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Offsetting the Effects Understand social capital issues in
the communities we create (user groups, cross-functional teams, professional societies, etc.) Do not overemphasize knowledge
over interaction Recognize individual reluctance Create opportunities
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Offsetting the Effects Be leaders in exploiting new
technology to create mixed online/live communities Offset time/ sprawl effects Look at the “open software communities”
and try to extend their success. Move beyond the “individual” aspects of
the web to discover social capital aspects
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Illustration
Web pages
True interaction
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Questions How does social capital affect your
professional life? What special aspects of life as an OR/MS
professional do you see affected by social capital?
What has affected your ability to gain and retain social capital?
What opportunities do you see for generating social capital in OR/MS either globally or in your area? Can you generate both bridging and bonding?
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Practice Portal Advertisement Time to get to reception, so:The Practice Portal (Phase 1) is coming
together: view it at http://www.informs.org/Practice
Talk to (aka “Gain social capital with”):Robin Lougee-Heimer, IBM, AE
PracticeMatt Saltzman, Clemson, IOL Editor