The effect of social capital on new product development with the mediating role of knowledge management in knowledge-based companies in Mazandaran province

Today, the factors that affect the new product development process are very important. One of these factors is social capital, which enables the organization to quickly access, with appropriate timing, a diverse set of information to develop new products. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of social capital on new product development with the mediating role of knowledge management. This research is applied in terms of purpose and in terms of nature and method, descriptive-analytical and correlational. The statistical population of the study was 197 managers of all knowledge-based companies in Mazandaran province. The sample size was determined to be 132 according to Krejcie and Morgan table and a simple random method was used for sampling. Data analysis was performed by structural equation method with Smart pls2 software. The results showed that social capital has a positive and significant effect on knowledge management. Knowledge management has a positive and significant effect on new product development. Social capital has a positive and significant effect on new product development. The findings also confirmed the mediating role of knowledge management in the relationship between social capital and new product development. Managers of knowledge-based companies consider it important to improve the performance of new product development in order to survive in a competitive environment, so the use of social capital and knowledge management is essential to improve new product development and stay in the market.