Chapter 8: Does it Matter who Trusts?: A Multilevel Approach to Trust in an Alliance

Does it matter who trusts who in an alliance? Is it important how and when trust emerges between groups or individuals? This study gives insight into how different forms of trust coexist at the operational and managerial levels initiating different trust paths. Early positive encounters on the managerial level create a safe context for trust development on the operational level, whereas over time day-to-day activities on the operational level generate opportunities for mutual exchanges and encounters where trust is tested. If experiences are positive, developments on the operational level becomes crucial for the trust building process on the managerial level. Interpersonal trust may arise due to favorable individual interactions, and it is more likely found within a context of collective trust. Interpersonal trust reinforces collective trust, but may also impact it negatively if individual trust turns into distrust. Individual level trust is not easily transferred to collective trust, but is more sustainable when surrounded by it.