Podjetniške asociacije v turizmu predstavljajo stičišče mnogih deležnikov, ki imajo različen vpliv na razvoj dejavnosti. Le uspešne asociacije lahko postanejo pomemben dejavnik pri doseganju zastavljenih ciljev, tako turističnega gospodarstva kot posameznih organizacij – članic asociacij. Podjetja se združujejo v asociacije z izraženim poslovnim interesom in namenom doseganja koristi. Vsekakor so odnosi med deležniki, ki sodelujejo ključnega pomena pri doseganju zastavljenih ciljev. V odnosih se ustvarja socialni kapital, ki omogoča, da akterji sodelujejo ter izmenjujejo znanje in izkušnje v skupno korist. Glede na neenotno definicijo socialnega kapitala ter na specifičnost delovanja asociacije smo upoštevali vse morebitne predpostavke in dileme, ki se pojavljajo tako pri definiciji, kot pri merjenju socialnega kapitala. Skladno s splošno definicijo velja, da je organizacija uspešna, v kolikor je dosegla zastavljene cilje. Vendar doseženi ali delno doseženi cilji niso dovolj, da lahko organizacijo opredelimo kot uspešno. Potrebno je tudi, da asociacija kot gospodarska organizacija stabilno posluje, da so člani zadovoljni z delovanjem ter da obstoja interes nečlanov postati člani. V pričujoči disertaciji smo na podlagi utemeljenih ugotovitev dokazali, da je za uspešnost specifične organizacije, kar asociacija dejansko je, socialni kapital ključnega pomena. Preučevali smo asociacije na področju turizma v Sloveniji, ki združujejo gospodarske organizacije z izraženim poslovnim interesom. Na podlagi podatkov, pridobljenih s poglobljenimi pol strukturiranimi intervjuji, opravljenimi s kvalificiranimi respondenti izbranih asociacij ter na podlagi kvalitativne, kvantitativne in primerjalne analize smo odgovorili na vprašanje, ali socialni kapital vpliva na uspešnost asociacij ter katere so tiste dimenzije socialnega kapitala, ki imajo odločilen vpliv ter jih je zato potrebno razvijati z namenom povečanje uspešnosti. Nismo pa se omejili samo na socialni kapital kot vzrok neuspešnosti, poiskali smo tudi ostale vzroke neuspešnosti ter ugotovili vpliv socialnega kapitala in njegovih dimenzij na te vzroke neuspešnosti. Ugotavljali pa smo tudi, kako uspešnost vpliva na socialni kapital asociacije.

Corporate associations in the tourism involve many stakeholders who have different impact on development activities. Only successful associations could become an important factor in achieving these goals, the tourism industry and individual organizations - members of associations. Companies have set up associations with the stated business interests and to achieve the benefits. However, relations between the stakeholders involved are crucial in achieving these goals. The relationship creates social capital that allows players to work together and share knowledge and experience for the benefit. Given the inconsistent definition of social capital as well as the specificity of the association, we considered all possible assumptions and dilemmas that arise both in the definition and measurement of social capital. In accordance with the general definition is that the organization is successful to the extents that achieve stated goals. However, achieved or partially achieved their objectives are not enough to define an organization as successful. It is also necessary that the association of economic organization as a stable business, that members are satisfied with the operation and that is interest of non-members to become members. In this thesis we have demonstrated, on the basis of the findings, that the performance of the specific organization, what association in fact is, social capital has crucial impact on performance of association. We studied the association in the field of tourism in Slovenia, which combine economic organization with the stated business interests. On the basis of data derived from in-depth semi-structured interviews carried out with qualified respondents from selected associations and a qualitative, quantitative and comparative analysis, we answer the question of whether social capital affects the performance of association and which are the dimensions of social capital, which have a decisive influence and can therefore be developed in order to increase performance. But we did not rely solely on social capital as the cause of failure

we have also looked the other causes of failure and the influence of social capital and its dimensions to these causes of failure. We also determined how performance affects social capital associations.