Relationship economics : the social capital paradigm and it's application to business, politics and other transactions / Lindon J. Robison and Bryan K. Ritchie.

Introduction: relationships matter; Relationships and social capital; Different kinds of social capital; Do social capital motives matter (much)?; An introduction to the social capital paradigm; The social capital paradigm: the role of socio-emotional goods; The social capital paradigm: the role of attachment values; The social capital paradigm: the role of institutions: The social capital paradigm: the role of networks; The social capital paradigm: the role of power; The social capital exchange theory; Social capital and the distribution of income; The social capital paradigm and poverty reduction; Social capital and ethics: taking care of friends and business; Social capital and globalization; Social capital and the distribution of political power; Social capital and culture; Index.

In a 24/7 world and a global economy, there is no doubt that relationships impact virtually every economic transaction. In Relationship Economics, Lindon Robison and Bryan Ritchie argue that what needs to be understood is not just whether relationships matter (which, of course, they do), but also, how much, and in what circumstances they should matter. Providing a rigorous and measurable definition of the way that relationships among individuals create a capital, social capital, that can be saved, spent, and used like other forms of capital, Robison and Ritchie use numerous examples and insightful analysis, to explain how social capital shapes our ability to reduce poverty, understand corruption, encourage democracy, facilitate income equality, and respond to globalization. The first part of the book explains how social capital can be manipulated, stored, expended, and invested. The second part explores how levels of social capital within relationships influence economic transactions both positively and negatively, which in turn shape poverty levels, economic efficiency, levels and types of political participation, and institutional structures