Knowledge Service Industry, Social Capital Theory And Empirical Research

The era of the knowledge-based economy is coming and economic globalization is deepened day after day. Now China is during the thorough structural transformation of society, economy and culture. Facing the international competition, China needs the adjustment and upgrade of the industrial structure urgently. While the western countries have developed the knowledge-intensive service industry (KISI) actively since 1990s, which shows us the importance of KISI and gives us important lessons and reference to develop KISI. KISI in China has been developed since reform and opening-up, but still has many problems. And the center and many local governments began to wake up to the importance of KISI at the end of 1990s and put forward to develop modern service industries one after another, most of which belong to KISI. On this condition, it is meaningful to research on the KISI's social capital and the strategic countermeasures to promote the KISI's development in China.The thesis includes eight chapters on KISI's social capital.The first chapter Introduction introduces the research background, the research methods, the meanings, the innovations and the thesis's structure.The second chapter Review on the KISI's social capital concludes and comments on the prevenient theories of social capital, the concept and social capital of KISI.The third chapter Concept of KISI's social capital mainly analyzes the concepts of KISI, social capital, the main bodies and carriers of social capital. In the author's point of view, the industry can be regarded as KISI only if it meets the following standards: (1) Knowledge is the main factor and its generation, development and operation mainly depends on professional knowledge, that is the related technological or professional capabilities in particular fields or subjects, so the training on professional knowledge is the essential precondition to entry; (2) The intangible assets such as personnel, knowledge, relationships, experience and capabilities are more important than the tangible assets; (3) It supplies mainly the knowledge-based intangible products or service, and tangible products are only the carriers; (4) the high-quality personal resource is the fatal factor for its development and the cost of personnel is the biggest part in total cost to run a company; (4) It runs after the profits and its development depends on the reglation of the market system instead of the control of governments.The main bodies of KISI's social capital include the KISI enterprise, KISI guild, government, client and the public and so on. According to their itiative, they can be devided into active main bodies and passive main bodies. The government, KISI guilds and KISI enterprise are three active main bodies of KISI's social capital and play the dynamic role in the development of KISI. The carriers of social capital among them are "five yuan networks", that is families network, geographic network, cultural network, business network and spirit network. The "five yuan networks" play the important role in the generation and accumulation of KISI's social capital.The fourth chapter is Functions of KISI's social capital. In the author's point of view, KISI's social capital is a double-edged sword for its development. The good one is that it can promote the knowledge-share, enhance the cohesion and strengthen the KISI's competing power, decrease transaction costs and economize social resource, affect the choice of institutions and perfect them, and form the good environment and supply the drives to develop KISI. The bad one is that it may embarrass the transformation and innovation, obdurate easily, lead to the unfair assignment of resources and destroy the fair competition.The fifth chapter is Analysis on the institutions change in view of KISI's social capital. KISI's social capital plays the great role in the KISI's institutions change. Firstly, its change is a part of KISI's institutions change; secondly, it is the drive of KISI's institutions change; thirdly, it is the lubricant and stabilizer for the institutions change. And the KISI's institutions change relies on the cooperation among governments, KISI's guild and KISI enterprise. Only three parts adjust their social capital continuously, communicate fully and enhance the cooperation capability, then the KISI's institutions change can be promoted effectively and successfully and KISI will develop.The sixth chapter is Empirical Research on the theory of KISI's social capital: Bar in Shanghai as a case. The author chooses the Allbrightlaw in Shanghai as the subject of micro social capital and the bar in Shanghai as the subject of medium social capital. The empirical research shows that social capital plays very important role in the development of KISI and its institutions change.The seventh chapter is Development Strategy of KISI in view of social capital. The author put forwards the principals and detailed countermeasures for three main bodies on base of social capital.The eighth chapter Conclusion and Outlook draws conclusions on the research and bring forward its shortcoming and outlook.Based on above-mentioned, the author regards the followings as innovation: (1) the academic and empirical studies on micro and medium level with the background of transformation; (2) introducing the western theories with the background of Chinese oriental culture and attemping to combine the oriental theory of "five yuan network" and western theory of "social capital"; (3) analyzing in details the institutions change systems in view of social capital and the model of three parts' cooperation with the example of KISI; (4) bringing forward the detailed countermeasures to promote the KISI's development on base of social capital.So the thesis is meaningful both as academic and empirical studies. As an academic study, it: (1) studies systemicly KISI in view of social capital and enrich the research on KISI; (2) attempts to localize the western social capital theory and makes it more suitable to the Chinese practices; (3) analyzes the important role of social capital in KISI's development in the field of industrial economics, which is a benefit supplement for industrial economics and good attempt to localize the industry management theories; (4) combines the oriental theory of "five yuan networks" and western theory of social capital at the first time, belongs to the medium-level empirical study of oriental management theories and will benefit its development.As an empirical study, it; (1) begins from the Chinese special social, economical and cultural environment to study the KISI's social capital and put forward the related countermeasures, which is meaningful to promote the generation of harmonious industry and harmonious society due to its research background and content; (2) analyzes the KISI's main bodies and points out the importance of social capital in the development of KISI, which will help them determinate their position; (3) brings forward the model of three parts and development strategies, which supplies the benefit refemce for them; (4) gains many materials by questionnaires and field work and use them in the empirical study, which supplies the abundant reference for interested readers.