The role of online communities in shaping the Society 5.0 paradigm: a social capital perspective

Chiara Ancillai, Sara Bartoloni, Jelena Filipovic and Valerio Temperini

European Journal of Innovation Management, 2025, vol. 28, issue 5, 1890-1915

Abstract: PurposeThe study’s purpose is to understand how online communities, thanks to their knowledge-sharing potential, can help to achieve the principles of a human-centered society. The social capital theory is applied to understand knowledge contribution and knowledge sharing in online communities.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach based on a single case study of an international online community is adopted.FindingsThe case study highlights how each social capital facet unfolds within the online community to model efficient knowledge exchange among members. The developed social capital generates benefits at three interconnected system levels: micro (individuals), meso (companies), and macro (society).Originality/valueThe paper makes several contributions to the literature on Society 5.0, social capital theory, and knowledge management by bringing the needed empirical evidence on how to exploit online digital technologies to generate the benefits associated with Society 5.0. It also demonstrates that social capital theory is a valuable theoretical lens through which to explain how knowledge-sharing and exchange mechanisms in online communities contribute to shaping a human-centered society.

Keywords: Social capital; Online community; Society 5.0; Human-centric; Sustainability; Women empowerment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:ejimpp:ejim-02-2024-0168

DOI: 10.1108/EJIM-02-2024-0168

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