Measuring bonding, bridging and linking dimensions of social capital: the case of city-dwellers in Vietnam

This paper examines the dimensions of social capital among city-dwellers in Vietnam, an emerging country, with a specific focus on the largest urban center, Ho Chi Minh City by constructing a hierarchical measurement model of 3 levels. Drawing on a primary data of three hundred households, Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) is employed to validate a level 2 reflective measurement model of social capital with 15 indicators (level 1) across three dimensions. Additionally, a level 3 formative model analyzes the weights of bonding, bridging, and linking social capital. The findings reveal that bridging social capital is prioritized, followed by bonding and linking social capital, indicating the significance of connections across diverse groups and networks in urban environments. The research also provides empirical evidence on the superiority of closed networks as a survival resource to formal institutions while confirming the strength of bridging social capital to get ahead. Proposed actions for different stakeholders including governments, civil society organizations and local communities have been made. The dynamics of social capital in the Vietnamese urban context from the research findings have provided implications for policymakers in boosting social cohesion, resilience, and inclusive development by identifying and mobilizing the prioritized resources.