Essential Components of Social Capital: an investigation in the COAGRO Productive System

Abstract

This study investigated the structure of social capital in the COAGRO, Cooperativa Agroindustrial do Rio de Janeiro, formed by cooperative and partners, from the assumption that its presence promotes good relationship among the stakeholders, and has positive influence in the local economic system.  Methodologically, it was used a model of exploratory research, and some factors were evaluated such as collective participation, trust, respect to the contractual rules, reciprocity and solidarity, providing important evidences about the role of intangible resources in success of the productive unit chosen for the research. The work dealt, qualitatively, of these representative elements of the context of social capital in the system and verified that the operational experience of the organization allowed the gradual redemption of the trust, before affected in terms of business practices inconsistent with the economic ethics, such as breach of contracts. The organization, as a research subject, is structurally formed by an association of sugarcane agricultures and a plant, forming a cooperative, and with their in common partners, as a whole have shown a strong presence which is a facilitating factor of the improvement of the relationship between concerned actors.