Impact of workplace social capital on health among employees: case study in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

Abstract

The modern workplace is a dynamic and complex environment that significantly influences employees' physical and mental well-being. As organizations strive to maximize productivity and employee engagement, researchers have turned their attention to the concept of workplace social capital and its potential impact on health outcomes. This thesis mainly aims to explore the relationship between workplace social capital and the self-rated health of employees. A cross-sectional servey was carried out on employees at private enterprises in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, received 462 valid samples. The workplace social capital of employees is assessed through the eight-item scale which is used in the majority of workplace social capital studies. The research results indicate that, after conducting Cronbach's Alpha test and exploratory factor analysis, the measurement scale was proved of good quality and remains unchanged, there is neither observed variables needed excluding nor formation of new factors. Control variables included gender, age, marital status, education attainment, occupational status, smoking status, physical activity, and job stress level. Binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to explore whether workplace social capital was associated with self-rated health. The factors impacting employee health were identified as follows: workplace social capital, job stress level, physical activity, and education. The research findings indicate that the presence of higher workplace social capital is linked to a decreased likelihood of poor self-rated health among employees. Encouraging the development of social capital within the workplace has the potential to enhance the health of employees.