Social Capital at Work: A Case of Adapting a Norwegian Cooperation Model in Russia

The article examines the process by which the local industry in a city in the Russian North adapted a Norwegian cooperation model. We found that the Russian way to build cooperation, different from the Norwegian practice, was characterized by intertwined personal and organizational ties and by mixed political and business agendas. The data were analyzed with the help of theories of social capital and Scandinavian institutionalism. On the basis of this analysis, we challenge the established view of Russia as a country with low cooperation capacity. Also, we suggest how the Russian cooperation experience can be valuable in the West.