From partner selection to trust dynamics

Purpose – To heed the calls for more inquiries into the tacit behavior in the partnering process and the latent rules underpinning the success of partnerships, the purpose of this paper is to develop a process model that explains when and how partner fit triggers the generation of trust through the sense making of fairness and similarity, and then yields performance by overcoming uncertainties jeopardizing the collaboration. Design/methodology/approach – To develop a comprehensive but parsimonious model for international partnership, the study involves observing and interpreting the accounts of project managers, which suggest the use of an exploratory approach based on case studies. The research setting is six cross-country partnerships operating in East Asian countries during 2005-2009 with each joint project involving Taiwanese construction companies and at least one local partner. Findings – The evidence shows that inter-partner trust conduces to project performance by reducing the threat of behavioral and environmental uncertainty. The findings confirm the general thesis that the performance implication of inter-partner trust is not uniform but contingent on both the types of trust and the uncertainty in the partnering process. Originality/value – Although not the first in the literature of collaborative dynamics, the paper contributes to identifying the latent constructs in the partnering process and highlighting the context-dependent nature of a successful partnership.