Enhancing Organizational Social Capital Support in Universities and Its Impact on Organizational Performance, Western Kenya

Organizational social Capital plays an important role in organizational performance and in increasing employee performance. Kenya's universities' performance has seen phenomenal growth in financial and knowledge resources, as evidenced by the number and size of diversified global and local collaborations in recent years, driven by organizational social capital. Weak performance trends in Kenyan universities are discouraging to employees, threaten university financial stability, and hinder the realization of Vision 2030. Information on past university performance can be used to predict future performance. The relationship between social capital variables and organizational performance is unclear. The situation is made even more unpredictable by organization support on social capital affected organizational social capital precedent. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of social capital, namely cognitive, structural, and relational, on organizational performance in Universities in Kenya. The social capital variables studied were organizational social capital management support, network obligations, and network precedents, which aggregate into trust, knowledge sharing, and collaboration. The study employed a descriptive-correlational research design. The target population was university employees, including academic staff and management staff. The study relied on primary data from universities. Descriptive statistics included mean and standard deviation. Inferential statistics, which included multiple regression, were performed. Data were presented in tables and line graphs. The study found that strong informal networks, trust among colleagues, and shared understanding exist within departments. However, weak institutional structures, limited cross-departmental collaboration, and low trust in management undermine overall performance. Regression results confirmed that relational and cognitive social capital positively influences performance, while structural mechanisms negatively impact efficiency. The study concluded that university performance depends largely on trust, collaboration, and shared understanding. Weak institutional structures and poor cross-functional coordination hinder innovation and organizational effectiveness. The study recommended that universities should strengthen relational and cognitive social capital through transparent communication, participatory leadership, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Management should redesign rigid structures into flexible, project-based teams, foster digital collaboration, and integrate social capital indicators into performance evaluation systems to enhance trust, innovation, and overall institutional performance.