Building Social Capital for Constructive Adaptive Capacity under Social Stress

Abstract

Purpose This study examines how a school progressively built its social capital for agile adaptation to provide inclusive and effective fully online learning provisions through intentionally enhancing its architecture for learning. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a case study to examine how school A was able to respond rapidly and progressively to the demand for quality online learning provisions in the face of unanticipated school closure with an uncertain end date. Video recordings of online school sharing sessions, interviews and documents provided by the school constituted data sources for this study. Findings In creating a collective new norm for the implementation of online learning, a school needs to enhance both structural and cognitive aspects of its social capital. School A achieved this through intentional changes to its architecture for learning (i.e. organizational structure, interaction mechanisms, mediating artifacts and technology) when deliberating measures to deliver the changes under periods of serious social stress. Originality/value Adaptive capacity is a core demand on the social capital of schools and organizations under the “new normal” when the future is unpredictable. This paper uncovers the connection between a school's architecture for learning and its adaptive capacity.