Designing and Validating an Intra-Organizational Social Capital Model for Education Employees in Ardabil Province: A Comparative Study of Line and Staff Units Using a Mixed-Methods Approach

Rapid transformations in educational systems and the necessity of enhancing organizational efficiency have underscored the importance of examining intra-organizational social capital in education. This study aimed to design and validate a social capital model for line and staff employees of the Education Organization in Ardabil Province using an exploratory mixed-methods approach (qualitative–quantitative). In the qualitative phase, data were collected through 18 semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic network analysis (MAXQDA), resulting in the identification of three main dimensions (structural, relational, and cognitive) and their core components among line and staff employees. In the quantitative phase, the statistical population consisted of employees of the Education Organization offices in Ardabil Province, and the data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) through the AMOS software. The results of model validation indicated desirable validity and reliability of the research structure; specifically, composite reliability indices (CR>0.70), convergent validity (AVE>0.50), and statistical significance levels (p<0.001) were confirmed. The results of the second-order factor analysis revealed that all structural paths in the model possessed the required validity, except for the component of innovation in educational management among staff employees (t-value = 1.639), which was not statistically significant at the 0.05 level. Comparative and managerial findings: The analysis of social capital levels (based on the optimal threshold of 4) indicated that the overall organizational social capital was at an acceptable level; however, substantial differences were observed among its components. Components such as “evaluation processes” (4.05), “intra-school collaboration” (4.05), “communication with educational experts” (4.99), and “effective communication skills” (4.99) were found to be at a desirable level. Conversely, the components of “interaction with the local community” (3.00), “planning and budgeting processes” (3.01), “interdepartmental collaboration” (3.07), and “trust-building and transparency” (3.01) were identified as areas requiring immediate improvement. Accordingly, it is recommended that, to enhance social capital, the Education Organization should focus on developing an inclusive organizational culture, strengthening network-based interactions, revising evaluation systems, and creating supportive conditions for employees’ innovative ideas. This model can serve as an operational framework for human resource policies and improving educational performance within the managerial system of Ardabil Province.