Trust in a Cross-Sectoral Interorganizational Network: An Empirical Investigation of Antecedents

This study explores the antecedents to trust among the participants in a cross-sectoral interorganizational network. We offer hypotheses for nine potential antecedents of trust divided into three categories: attributes of the trustor, of the trustee, and of their relationship. We analyzed dyadic data collected from a network of community-based organizations collaborating to promote change in a south Los Angeles community. The results of our analysis reveal that trust building is not a simple process but results from a combination of attributes of trustors, trustees, and their relationships. Trustors’ general tendency to trust other participants in the network, trustees’ reputation in the network, whether a trustee is from the same sector as the trustor, whether a trustee is important to the trustor, and the multiplexity of interactions between a trustor and trustee significantly influenced the level of trust. Some suggestions for developing trust among participants in such networks are offered.