 Social capital. Social capital broadly refers to those factors of effectively functioning social groups that include such things as inter-personal relationships, a shared sense of identity, a shared understanding, shared norms, shared values, trust, cooperation, and reciprocity. However, the many views of this complex subject make a single definition difficult. The term generally refers to resources, and the value of these resources, both tangible public spaces, private property and intangible factors, human capital, people the relationships among these resources, and the impact that these relationships have on the resources involved in each relationship, and on larger groups. It is generally seen as a form of capital that produces public goods for a common good. Social capital has been used to explain the improved performance of diverse groups, the growth of entrepreneurial firms, superior managerial performance, enhanced supply chain relations, the value derived from strategic alliances, and the evolution of communities. During the 1990s and 2000s, the concept has become increasingly popular in a wide range of social science disciplines and also in politics.