Abstract
In rural UK, businesses are often isolated and have much to gain from healthy networks, yet studies show that many rural business owners fail to network effectively. Information communications technologies offer new ways to network that might benefit rural businesses by expanding their reach. This study looked at online and face-to-face networking behaviour among rural micro-enterprises in Scotland in relation to the development of bonding and bridging social capital. Given the challenges of remoteness faced by many rural businesses, online networking is particularly useful in developing bridging capital, but is an unsuitable context for building the trust needed to gain tangible benefits. The article therefore highlights the importance of face-to-face interactions in developing trust and bonding social capital. Rural business owners face distinctive challenges with respect to online communications, which are explored in this article.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 29-47 |
Number of pages | 19 |
Journal | Sociologia Ruralis |
Volume | 56 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 20 Nov 2014 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2016 |
Bibliographical note
AcknowledgementsThe research reported here is supported by the award made by the RCUK Digital Economy programme to the dot.rural Digital Economy Hub [(EP/G066051/1).
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Claire Wallace
- Social Science, Sociology - Chair in Sociology
- School of Language, Literature, Music & Visual Culture, Centre for Citizenship, Civil Society & Rule of Law (CISRUL)
Person: Academic