When the going gets tough: exploring processes of trust building and repair in regulatory relations

Abstract

Trust plays a role in all relations within regulatory regimes, as Six and Verhoest (this volume) show in their literature review. They conclude that, among others, the dynamics of processes for trust building and repair are under studied. In this chapter we begin to address this gap. In a double case study, we reconstruct and analyse the interaction process between a public regulator (water board in charge of licensing and enforcement for water management) and public regulatee (local authority developing new housing district). Even though (dis)trust was not often explicitly mentioned, processes of trust building and repair provide a fruitful conceptual lens through which we can understand and explain what happens. Our micro-level study shows how trust is built and what happens after trouble occurs and conflict erupts. We tentatively formulate propositions on processes of trust building and repair at individual and organizational level.