The role of trust in the process of inter-organizational learning

The project combines two streams of literature, one related to inter-organizational learning, the other concerning issues of trust in inter-firm relations. Learning has been identified to be one of the most prevalent motivators for undertaking joint ventures. The process of inter-organizational learning as well as factors that precondition and facilitate it has been researched extensively. At the same time, increasingly, the notion of trust has started to emerge, next to assumption of universal opprtunism advanced by TCE, as a complement to fuller understanding of human nature. A growing body of literature concerning the significance of trust in the exchange relationships of market participants has started to surface.