Trusting interorganizational networks? Empirical relevance and research opportunities

Reinhard Bachmann and Jörg Sydow

No 2026/16, Discussion Papers from Free University Berlin, School of Business & Economics

Abstract: This paper argues that there is an increasing need to trust not only organizations but whole interorganizational networks. That is, there is a strong and growing demand for building what we call 'network trust'. Differentiating between different forms of network governance, applying a practice-based perspective and using the well-known example of the StarAlliance, the paper demonstrates how network trust can emerge within a network, and how external stakeholders, such as customers, suppliers and regulators, can develop trust in a network as whole. Also, we will show that, in turn, network trust can help produce and reproduce trust in single members of a network. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research.

Keywords: interorganizational relations; network governance; trust (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:zbw:fubsbe:342494

DOI: 10.17169/refubium-52292

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