Strategies to increase social capital and interaction of faculty members of medical Universities

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Social participation and group interaction are the basic and expected indicators of serving in the job of the faculty. Some improvements are needed for universities and professors in this area, which they can be better identified by studying the main beneficiaries. In this regard, this study was aimed to identify strategies to increase social capital and interaction of medical universities' faculty members. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This qualitative study which was a qualitative content analysis type was performed on 22 faculty members of Isfahan, Mashhad, Tabriz, Iran, Army, Shahrekord, Sabzevar, Arak, and Khomein universities through semi-structured interviews and purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: According to finding, in order to improve the social interactions of medical universities' faculty members, there were 2 factors and 8 main categories including organizational factors ("organizational dynamics," "organizational security," "standardization of selection and evaluation," "value creation," and "establishing a compensation system") and individual social factors ("education and social programs," "personal skills and beliefs promotion," and "personality and learning"). CONCLUSIONS: The obtained strategies in this study to improve social capital and group interactions and group participation of medical universities' faculty members can be planned and implemented by managers and can be used for faculty members themselves.