Trust Trap? Self-Reinforcing Processes in the Constitution of Inter-Organizational Trust

Sasaki, M. (Ed., 2018) Trust in Contemporary Society. Leiden: Brill.

31 Pages Posted: 12 Mar 2018 Last revised: 20 Aug 2018

See all articles by Guido Möllering

Guido Möllering

Witten/Herdecke University

Jörg Sydow

Freie Universität Berlin

Date Written: August 10, 2018

Abstract

This chapter points to the peculiar nature of trust as a property of inter-organizational relations that may be desirable though not easily established, but also sometimes undesirable though hard to abandon. We argue that this is due to self-reinforcing processes that may be slow to get started but that tend to spiral up to levels that essentially lock organizations into their trust-based relationships, even when the trust has been jeopardized.

Keywords: trust, network, organization, management, path dependence

JEL Classification: L20

Suggested Citation

Moellering, Guido and Sydow, Jörg, Trust Trap? Self-Reinforcing Processes in the Constitution of Inter-Organizational Trust (August 10, 2018). Sasaki, M. (Ed., 2018) Trust in Contemporary Society. Leiden: Brill., Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3137541

Guido Moellering

Witten/Herdecke University ( email )

Alfred-Herrhausen-Str. 50
Witten, 58448
Germany
+49-2302-926-501 (Phone)
+49-2302-926-587 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://reinhard-mohn-institut.de/

Jörg Sydow (Contact Author)

Freie Universität Berlin ( email )

School of Business & Economics
Garystr. 21
D-14195 Berlin
Germany
49-30-83853782 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://www.fu-berlin.de/wiwiss

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