Ricerc@Sapienza

Purpose – The importance of relational capital for the university has grown enormously in recent years.
In fact, relational capital allows universities to promote and emphasize the effectiveness of the third mission.
The purpose of this paper is to propose a case study involving an Italian university that recently set up a new
research observatory, and, thanks to its success, succeeded in enhancing its relational capital.
Design/methodology/approach – The authors adopted an action research approach to analyze the case
study. Consistently, the authors followed the analysis, diagnosis, and intervention phases. First, the authors
focused on the identification of the strengths and weaknesses of the process through which the university
created relational capital, and finally, the authors proposed solutions to improve the process.
Findings – This case study shows that the creation of relation capital for the host university was the result of
a process of transfer and transformation of the individual relationships of the observatory’s promoters.
Originality/value – This paper contributes to filling a significant gap in the literature on relational capital
and universities and provides useful insights into how these organizations can encourage its creation. It also
allows scholars, managers, and politicians involved in higher education to gain a greater understanding of
this relevant topic.