Association between affiliation with an ikyoku and workplace social capital: A preliminary study

Introduction: Workplace social capital (WSC), a workplace resource focusing on employees’ perceptions of trust, reciprocity, and network interactions among colleagues and individuals of different hierarchical levels or organisations, has recently gained substantial attention in the field of medical education. The Japanese ikyoku system, a traditional unique postgraduate educational system that governs education, research, and patient care, could plausibly shape these relational climates; however, its association with WSC among medical residents remains unclear. In this study, we focused on the ikyoku system and aimed to elucidate the association between affiliation with ikyoku and WSC among residents of postgraduate year 3–6. Methods: We conducted this cross-sectional study in December 2024 using an anonymous online self-administered survey in Japan. The survey was distributed to senior residents in 25 hospitals via their training directors. We assessed WSC using the Japanese medical resident version of the WSC Scale (score range: 1–5), which has previously demonstrated good validity and reliability. To investigate the association between affiliation with an ikyoku and WSC, we performed multivariable linear regression analysis, with adjustment for possible confounders. Results: Sixty-one residents (response rate: 13.0%) were included in the final analysis. The majority were male (41, 67.2%) and in postgraduate years 3–4 (36, 59.0%). The results showed that there was no significant association between affiliation with an ikyoku and WSC score. The low response rate may limit generalisability. Conclusion: The findings of this study will provide in-depth understanding of WSC. However, further larger-scale studies to confirm these findings are required.

Keywords: Workplace Social Capital, Ikyoku System, Japan, Medical Education