The mediating effect of social capital in the relationshipbetween resource dependence and supllier performance: A research in SMEs in Eskişehir organized industrial zone

Enterprises need different kinds of resources in order to continue their activities. Suppliers are the organizations that supply these resources to the enterprises. Because suppliers have an important role in the continuation of the enterprises' existence, the relationship between suppliers and enterprises also becomes important. The aim of this study is to explain the subjects of resource dependence, social capital and supplier performance based on literature and find out the relationship between them, and how small and medium-sized companies can access to the reources easily by overcoming the restrictions of resource dependency with the mediation of social capital. In this content, it is aimed to assert whether social capital has a mediator role or not in the relationship between resource dependence and supplier performance in the research which will be conducted in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) located in Eskişehir Organized Industrial Zone. Thus, it is aimed to assert the effect of having social capital to the supplier performance for enterprises in terms of their relationship with the suppliers. It is aimed to find out how resource dependence affects social capital, social capital affects supplier performance, and resource dependence affects supplier performance; whether there is a meaningful relationship between these variables. According to this aim, the data had been collected from the small and medium size enterprises which are located in Eskişehir Organized Industrial Zone. 193 managers in 76 enterprises had responded the questionnaire. According to the research results, it had been vi found social capital has a mediator effect in the relationship between resource dependence and supplier performance and social capital has an important function in the relationship between enterprises and suppliers. Also, there is a positive and meaningful relationship between the main variables. Resource dependence had affected social capital positively. Social capital had affected supplier performance positively. Regarding the relationship between resource dependence and supplier performance, resource dependence had affected supplier performance positively. Keywords: Resource dependence, Social capital, Supplier performance.