When Community Ties Become Service: Modeling Social Capital as a Formative Higher-Order Construct in Community-Based Tourism

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate how social capital shapes tourist satisfaction in community-based tourism (CBT), focusing on service quality as a key mechanism. Although prior research recognizes that social relationships matter for tourism development, less is known about how specific forms of social capital translate into visitor-level outcomes. To address this gap, we conceptualize social capital as a formative, higher-order construct comprising bonding, bridging, and linking dimensions, and integrate this structure with established frameworks for service quality and satisfaction. Data were collected from 375 domestic tourists across six CBT destinations in Vietnam. A sequential mixed-methods design was used to refine the research model and adapt measurement items to the local context. The hypotheses were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), including the assessment of mediation effects. The findings show that social capital has a strong positive effect on service quality, and service quality, in turn, significantly increases tourist satisfaction. Service quality partially mediates the relationship between social capital and satisfaction, with the indirect pathway accounting for a substantial share of the total effect. Social capital also has a direct but weaker influence on satisfaction, suggesting that community relationships may additionally enhance visitors’ experiences through more intangible channels. Overall, the model shows strong explanatory power and moderate predictive performance. The study contributes by advancing a higher-order view of social capital and clarifying service quality as the main link between community dynamics and tourist outcomes. The findings also suggest that CBT communities and policymakers should strengthen bonding, bridging, and linking social capital as relational infrastructure to improve service quality and tourist satisfaction.