Social capital in supply chains: the challenges for the Scottish island visitor economy

<p>This paper applies the Community Capitals Framework (CCF) to a study of small Scottish island communities and their supply chains, with a particular focus on the visitor economy, which is vital for the continued economic and social viability of these remote rural communities. Given the very limited pool of both suppliers and customers within remote island communities, extensive supply chains lie at the core of economic activity. However, whilst the challenge of supply chain development in rural areas has been acknowledged, supply chain limitations within a visitor economy context, have received little academic attention. Nine islands across three Scottish council areas were selected for this research, with 58 semi-structured interviews with respondents involved in visitor economy activity. This study demonstrates the crucial importance of social capital for the development of efficient and effective supply chains in remote areas. With findings suggesting that social capital can alleviate a broader scarcity of resource and other capital constraints in peripheral communities. Moreover, the development of trust is highlighted as a key problem in creating more efficient and sustainable supply chain relationships.</p>