Trust Building Process Research Articles

Can we trust a chatbot like a physician? A qualitative study on understanding the emergence of trust toward diagnostic chatbots

Technological advancements in the virtual assistants' domain pave the way to implement complex autonomous agents like diagnostic chatbots. Drawing on the assumption that chatbots are perceived as both technological tools and social actors, we aim to create a deep understanding of trust-building processes towards diagnostic chatbots compared to trust in medical professionals. We conducted a laboratory experiment in which participants interacted either with a diagnostic chatbot only or with an additional telemedicine professional before we interviewed them primarily on trust-building factors. We identified numerous software-related, user-related, and environment-related factors and derived a model of the initial trust-building process. The results support our assumption that it is equally essential to consider dimensions of physician and technology trust. One significant finding is that trust in a chatbot arises cognitively, while trusting a human agent is affect-based. We argue that the lack of affect-based trust inhibits the willingness to rely on diagnostic chatbots and facilitates the user's desire to keep control. Considering dimensions from doctor-patient trust, we found evidence that a chatbot's communication competencies are more important than empathic reactions as the latter may evoke incredibility feelings. To verify our findings, we applied the derived code system in a larger online survey.

Transitioning From Urban Climate Action to Climate Equity

Problem, research strategy, and findings Historically, urban climate action plans have not focused on residents who are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change: neighborhoods of people of color and low-income communities, also known as frontline communities. I examined the climate action planning process for five U.S. cities that have recently updated their climate action plans to focus on equity: Austin (TX), Baltimore (MD), Cleveland (OH), Portland (OR), and Providence (RI). The goal of the analysis was to identify how planners and policymakers are making the climate action planning process more inclusive of marginalized groups and incorporating equity into the plan’s goals. I examined three aspects of climate equity: procedural, distributional, and recognition. Using content analysis of the plans and interviews with past and current sustainability directors in each of the cities and a small number of participants, I provide context for how the updated plans addressed the three aspects of equity. Further, I call into question how academics have defined procedural equity. The experiences of these five cities revealed that three actions essential to achieving authentic participation are antiracism training, comprehensive efforts to bring underrepresented groups to the table, and creating a planning process in which participants are valued. The bottom line in all three is that procedural equity is a trust-building process. Participants in these planning processes viewed acknowledging previous rounds of harm committed in frontline communities as a first step in prioritizing equity. Although distributional equity is defined through implementation, the plans of these five cities, to varying degrees, attempted to stipulate how equitable implementation of goals will be measured. Takeaway for practice Developing climate plans that emphasize equity requires a considerable upfront commitment to building authentic participation from frontline communities and ensuring that it is measured in implementation.

Building markets between institutional discontinuities: Intermediation between formal and informal sectors in developing countries

ABSTRACT We explore the role of an intermediary, Palladium, in Zimbabwe as it bridges the divide between formal and informal sectors and the process through which it connects these sectors. We conduct in-depth, qualitative interviews structured around our case study of the market building activities of the Livelihoods and Food Security Program in rural Zimbabwe. Recognizing the institutional discontinuities, whereby activities in the formal and informal sectors do not necessarily connect, brings the role of intermediaries to the fore, as they attempt to bridge these divides by leveraging resources and engaging in collaborative arrangements through institutional work. This institutional intermediation is operationalized through processes of rationalization and trust building. We highlight the role of intermediation that reinforces an emergent basis for multi-stakeholder approaches to solve complex problems in Africa – involving private actors, community leaders, and the state – towards shaping ways of building more efficient markets for marginalized groups and facilitating market activity.

The impact of a blockchain platform on trust in established relationships: a case study of wine supply chains

Purpose This paper examines the impact of a blockchain platform on the role and importance of trust in established buyer-supplier relationships. Design/methodology/approach A literature review provides insight into trust development in supply chains. Research uses a case study of two wine supply chains: the producers, importers, logistics companies and UK Government agencies. Semi-structured interviews determine how trust and trustworthiness develop in buyer-supplier relationships and the impact of a blockchain-based technology proof of concept on supply chain trust. Findings A blockchain-based platform introduces common trusted data, reducing data duplication and improving supply chain visibility. The platform supports trust building between parties but does not replace the requirements for organisations to establish a position of trust. Contrary to literature claims for blockchain trustless disintermediation, new intermediaries are introduced who need to be trusted. Research limitations/implications The case study presents challenges specific to UK customs borders, and research needs to be repeated in different contexts to establish if findings are generalisable. Practical implications A blockchain-based platform can improve supply chain efficiency and trust development but does not remove the need for trust and trust-building processes. Blockchain platform providers need to build a position of trust with all participants. Originality/value Case study research shows how blockchain facilitates but does not remove trust, trustworthiness and trust relationships in established supply chains. The reduction in information asymmetry and improved supply chain visibility provided by blockchain does not change the importance of trust in established buyer-supplier relationships or the trust-based policy of the UK Government at the customs border.

Different effects of anxiety and avoidance dimensions of attachment on interpersonal trust: A multilevel meta-analysis

Interpersonal trust is significant in the development of society. Attachment theory provides a framework for understanding the trust-building process. Although many studies have investigated the association between attachment and interpersonal trust, controversy still exists regarding their correlation and the separate effects of attachment anxiety and avoidance on interpersonal trust. This meta-analysis summarized the combined relationship between both attachment dimensions and interpersonal trust in adults by including 53 articles reporting 149 effect sizes ( N = 45,166). The results revealed that both attachment dimensions were negatively, concurrently, and longitudinally associated with interpersonal trust. Further, subgroup analyses indicated that attachment avoidance was more strongly related to interpersonal trust than attachment anxiety ( F(1,291) = 459.568, p < .001). The effect sizes varied across cultures, trust figures, and sample sizes. The effect sizes between attachment anxiety ( r = −.038) and attachment avoidance ( r = −.15) on interpersonal trust in Chinese studies were both lower than in Western studies. Our results highlight the importance of attachment security in interpersonal relationships.

Sharing Economy Platforms in Georgia: Digital Trust, Loyalty and Satisfaction

The presented paper discusses the complex processes and challenges of the modern world, which are directly related to the development of sharing economy business models in digital platforms. It also explains the main features of the concept and describes the peer-to-peer effects globally and in the context of local cases in Georgia. Georgia is a developing country where the digital trust-forming process has started within the last few years. The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced digital business by increasing transactions over the Internet, which creates enormous opportunities for platforms from the sharing economy. The paper focuses on two areas: the problems of involvement in the sharing economy and the obstacles that directly or indirectly hinder the entities participating in the sharing economy. The research concentrates on consumer experiences and the prospects for developing the current model of the economy even more in future. The combination of consumer values is a dilemma that needs exploration to ensure the successful functioning of sharing economy services. Therefore, research outcomes fill the literature gap related to consumer behaviour on the local sharing economy digital platforms. In order to better understand consumer behavioural characteristics, this study examines motivational factors (technical, customer, trust-based) that individually influence satisfaction and the intention to use a platform in a peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation again. Based on relevant literature and an online survey of 259 questionnaire respondents, who actively use sharing services locally in Georgia, this study confirms that technical prepositions, consumer values attributes and platform trust-based characteristics are positively associated with customer satisfaction and loyalty. Furthermore, the analysis revealed that satisfaction positively correlates with future intentions mediated simultaneously by the above-mentioned factors. The research findings can be developed in future academic research to study the digital trust-building process and analyse the complex nature of the sharing economy markets.

Institutionalizing innovation in welfare local services through co-production: toward a Neo-Weberian State?

AbstractInnovative practices based on the involvement of citizens as co-producers of welfare local services have been increasingly adopted by the public sector to effectively tackle emerging social problems. Despite the development in the literature on this subject, recent studies still do not clearly indicate which are the challenges for the institutionalization of such practices. By applying a governance lens to the analysis of co-production of local public services, this article aims to contribute to bridging this gap through the empirical analysis of the childcare experience in four European cities. More in detail, it debates the concepts of co-production and innovation in public service delivery within the context of the different waves of public administration reforms; and it investigates how three different sets of conditions – namely, state support and capacity; organizational cultures which support innovation; and integration with facilitative technologies – integrate to facilitate or hinder the institutionalization of co-production initiatives. The findings show that the enabling role of the state actor is a sine qua non to guarantee an institutionalization of these practices, particularly concerning the promotion of trust-building processes. Doing so, the article contributes to the international debate about the possible co-existing of the paradigms of public administration that are arising in the last decades to remedy the problems with the New Public Management; and it provides professionals working in public management and administration with key policy recommendations for the elaboration of new governance systems for the provision of social and welfare services.

Linkages among extended service quality, distinct perceived value and satisfaction in the exhibition trust-building process

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine the causal relationship between extended service quality including information and communications technology (ICT) and distinct perceived value. This study also examined whether distinct perceived value has different effects on exhibition trust through general attendees' satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modeling was used to examine the causal relationships between the following factors: extended service quality, distinct perceived value, satisfaction and trust.FindingsThe structural relationships between extended service quality, distinct perceived value and satisfaction required to build exhibition trust were empirically confirmed. In particular, ICTs had significant effects on all of the perceived value factors, which reliably supports a conclusion that ICT is a key component of exhibition service quality.Originality/valueRecognizing the significance of ICT, this study has contributed to the field by providing researchers and managers with useful information that not only demonstrates how extended service quality and distinct perceived value independently contribute to satisfaction and interact with each other in doing so but also offers insights for better understanding how trust can be formed in exhibitions. Grasping the distinct preferences for value-oriented activities, understanding the importance of their mediating impacts and expanding the online-offline social networks in which their benefits are promoted and shared can alleviate the uncertainty leading up to exhibition participation while increasing the preemptive transparency of the relationship between quality and value offered by exhibitions.

Evoking the Leap of Faith online: An Exploration of the inner workings of Trust Signals

Research has so far largely overlooked trust building processes in online contexts. Specifically, while previous research has shed light on relevant signals as antecedents, little attention has been paid to how such signals are actively induced in one-way communication – that is when no prior interaction is given, and reactions cannot be observed immediately. This paper addresses this gap by adopting Goffman’s logic in Presentation of Self (1959). I explore how cues and dramaturgical mechanisms are used to evoke signals which relate to three dimensions of trust: ability, benevolence, or integrity. I analyze 19 campaign videos on the largest reward-based crowdfunding platform – Kickstarter – and extract bundles of visual and verbal cues that are enacted via dramaturgical mechanisms. This leads me to three dramaturgical strategies that foster online trust, in particular the leap of faith. The study contributes to trust literature by offering early evidence into how the leap of faith is created online and by providing insights into the creation of trust signals. It also contributes to crowdfunding literature by a more nuanced understanding of signaling.

The moderating role of cultural similarity in developing commitment in the industrial importer-supplier relationship

PurposeThis study aims to examine whether and how cultural (dis) similarity between business entities enhances or impairs the development of commitment in the trust building process in industrial importer-foreign supplier relationships.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on theoretical lenses of transaction cost economics, resource-based view and dynamic capability view, this study investigates how cultural (dis)similarity moderates the effects of opportunism, transaction-specific investment (TSI), the relative advantage of importing and communication on commitment, leading to building trust in business relationships. Using structural equation modeling and moderated regression analysis, the study tested several predicted effects using a sample of 154 industrial importers drawn from a developing country in Asia.FindingsA key finding of the study suggests that supplier opportunism comes into play and is negatively associated with industrial importer commitment as cultural dissimilarity increases. For culturally similar countries, opportunism does not affect commitment. Conversely, TSI has a positive effect on commitment for culturally similar countries; for dissimilar countries, TSI has no effect. The study also corroborates several additional hypotheses prevalent in the literature.Research limitations/implicationsCross-sectional data rather than longitudinal data, single country rather than multi-country perspectives and data from the importer’s side rather than from both importer and exporter may affect generalizability. Future research ought to address these issues to provide further insights.Originality/valueThe paper enriches the literature and extends the nomological network for international business theory by introducing the moderating effect of business cultural similarity in building commitment. Managerial perspectives are also gleaned from the findings.

Confidence gap or timid trust building? The role of trust in the evolution of the nuclear waste governance in Germany

Nuclear waste disposal represents one of the biggest socio-economic challenges of this century and probably for many centuries to come. It is a highly complex issue due to the interrelated technical, material, social, economic and political dimensions as well as the real or perceived risks involved. Distrust in technology, institutions, industry and even experts and decision-making processes are some of the reasons for opposition to nuclear waste disposal strategies. Our contribution analyses the dynamics of trust and distrust in Germany over the evolution of the search for a nuclear waste repository site in the last 40 years, identifies major turning points and explores the main factors that shaped trust/distrust relations over time. Site selection conflicts have often provoked ‘confidence gaps’ and site selection policies depend heavily on relationships based on mutual recognition and trust. We select key factors considered necessary to build trust in institutions and siting selection procedures and review recent changes in the institutional setting, including the establishment of a National Civil Society Board and the attempt to design more participatory procedures. Twenty-one stakeholders and experts were asked to rate some of the identified factors necessary for building trust and whether the measures carried out so far are sufficient to enhance trust in the relevant institutions and procedures and increase public confidence. Without a trust-building process for the siting, development and operation of a risky asset, a short-term attenuation of long-lasting conflicts is unlikely. The legacy of the past still plays an inhibiting role. In addition to expert judgement, evidence was derived from document analysis and participatory observation in the works of the German ‘Commission on the Storage of High-level Radioactive Waste’ and of the ‘National Civil Society Board’ as well as of events of regulator and operator.

Automating Trust with the Blockchain? A Critical Investigation of “Blockchain 2.0” Cultures

This article discusses the cultural conceptions of trust underpinning the experimentation of blockchain startup applications beyond the financial sector. Based on qualitative research undertaken in the context of the so-called “Blockchain 2.0” scene, we show how a peculiar conception of trust, which blends the libertarian views of blockchain inventors with the neoliberal culture of competition and meritocracy that is typical of the startup world, underpins these implementations. As a result, we argue that “Blockchain 2.0” entrepreneurs ultimately fail to recognize the eminently social nature of the trust-building process. They emerge from our observation as unable to comprehend the extent to which the implementation of blockchain in a societal (i.e., not purely financial) context cannot do away with considerations about what kind of “social” the technology intervenes within, and find difficult to effectively conceive of how this technology embeds in existing social relations and power structures.

Trust mechanisms underlying the self-efficacy-rumour use relationship

PurposeJournalism students, a special user group with the dual perspective of both social media general users and online journalists, and their trust in rumours is a valued but understudied topic in relation to preparing rational information users and professionals for rumour control. To reveal these trust mechanisms, this paper aims to identify salient psychological and behavioural factors related to journalism students’ different levels of trust.Design/methodology/approachUsing structural equation modelling to analyse the survey data of 234 journalism students, this paper tested a theoretical model that considers self-efficacy and the expressive and consumptive use of social media rumours as the antecedents and consequences of trust belief and trust action, respectively.FindingsSelf-efficacy has a positive effect on trust belief but a negative effect on trust action. Trust belief positively affects expressive use of rumours, whereas trust action negatively affects consumptive use.Practical implicationsThis study contributes to the cultivation of future online news gatekeepers.Originality/valueThis paper distinguishes journalism students’ trust mechanisms from those of general users and online journalists. The integration of dual process theories provides insights into trust-building processes related to rumours and advances the understanding of the anchoring and adjustment effects of self-efficacy on trust.

Significant governance factors in PPP infrastructure delivery performance in Ghana

Purpose Inefficiencies in public-private partnership (PPP) has been attributed to deficient and poor governance practices and structures. It has been recognized that a veritable way to achieve efficiency in PPP governance is through gaining an understanding of the theoretical, practical and contextual factors that underline governance practices in PPP project delivery. The purpose of this study is to explore the significant governance factors in PPP project performance and delivery. Design/methodology/approach Using a questionnaire survey on major players in PPPs in policy, research, consultancy and professionals, the study sought to delineate the significant governance factors that impact PPP project delivery performance. Findings A step-wise multiple regression analysis revealed effective communication and openness in sharing project information systems, competent, responsible and effective project leadership, trust-building processes, systems and practices, best practice organizational and team norms, team culture, cohesion practices, effective relationship management practices, robust policy diffusion and transfer processes, friendly business environment and government support and contractual and renegotiation flexibility as the key contractual and non-contractual governance factors that can predict about 79% level of PPP project delivery performance. Social implications The findings offer support to improve PPP delivery in governance. Originality/value These findings are, thus, useful toward evolving regulatory quality governance mechanisms, flexible supervision and quality decisions that can enhance value for money in PPP projects in PPP project delivery.

A Contribution to Measure Partnership Trust in Community-Based Participatory Research and Interventions With Latinx Communities in the United States.

Given the growing diversity in the United States, responsiveness to the needs of diverse communities is paramount. Latinx communities in the United States often state mistrust in outside institutions because of adverse experiences. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is considered a trust-building process and is one approach to understand disparities. However, the conceptualization and evaluation of trust as a CBPR outcome are understudied. This article summarizes a community-engaged research process conducted for the cultural and linguistic refinement of a partnership trust survey tool to assess partnership trust as an outcome of CBPR (CBPR-PTS), by using Perinatal Awareness for Successful Outcomes (PASOs) as a case study and cross-cultural cognitive interviewing (CCCI) methodology. The participants were 21 diverse stakeholders of PASOs, a community-based health organization that serves the Latinx population in South Carolina. A modified version of the multidimensional measure of trust model informed instrument development. The team analyzed the CCCI data using compiling informal analysis to identify which survey items' wordings must be changed or adapted based on the participants' accounts. Sixteen of 28 questions subjected to CCCI required modifications due to translation errors, culturally specific errors, or general cognitive problems. The new survey instrument has 19 scales and 195 items categorized into nine dimensions of the modified multidimensional measure of trust model. CCCI was a useful tool to address the cross-cultural understanding issues of the CBPR-PTS. Measurement instruments should be able to capture the socioeconomic, cultural, and geographic/environmental variability of community stakeholders to help understand the diversity of the comprehension and views of the communities involved in disparities' reduction efforts.

Reporting Conflict from Afar: Journalists, Social Media, Communication Technologies, and War

ABSTRACT We conducted interviews with conflict journalists who covered the conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Iraq and who work for the major international news agencies and media companies. These journalists did most of their reporting from remote locations as the conflict zones were too dangerous to be physically present. We investigated how the journalist did their jobs with the communicative affordances of digital tools and how digital trust-building occurred. The trust-building process between journalists and sources shifted across platforms and according to the technologies’ communicative affordances. We established that reporters had embraced the flow of news material on social media platforms as a valuable source of information, but after exercising extreme caution. Journalists upheld the boundaries that separated them from amateurs by emphasizing their role in making sense of events. They also fortified their gatekeeping role through verifying and vetting information – a task needed to maintain credibility and protect readers and viewers from misinformation and propaganda. Encrypted messaging applications such as WhatsApp played a major role in speeding up communication with and protecting potential sources and verification.

Gentrification: The role of dialogue in community engagement and social cohesion

ABSTRACT This study focuses on a community in south Atlanta, Georgia, comprising a case study in gentrification and community engagement that supports two related phenomena: (1) the process of community dialogue where individuals in a shared social world join together collaboratively to discuss social and economic problems; and (2) the building of social cohesion within a community that is based on common beliefs and values and is fostered through trust-building processes. By “opening communicative space” and fostering community engagement in socially relevant issues, community dialogue can build trust and social cohesion that benefit their community. The focus group and interview narratives in this study depict concerns about fairness, equity, and trust as key elements of community dialogue for addressing the challenges of gentrification. Implications for future research are included.

Patients' experiences of the complex trust-building process within digital cardiac rehabilitation.

The development of digital solutions is becoming increasingly important in facing global challenges. Therefore, research on this topic is important in taking into account cardiac patients' experiences of the rehabilitation process for the design of digital counseling solutions. The aim of the present qualitative study was to explore the different meanings that patients give to the rehabilitation process using a Glaserian grounded theory (GT) approach. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 participants from a rehabilitation center in Finland. The findings indicated a "complex trust-building process" core category comprising five categories of trust-building in rehabilitation: feeling that one has hit rock bottom, facing and coping in a crosscurrent, understanding together as a peer group, moving toward a healthier lifestyle with technology, and finding self-awareness. The complex process of trust-building involved interactions among emotion, cognition, and acceptance and support processes. Therefore, digital rehabilitation should be incorporated into counseling based on patients' psychosocial, physical and emotional needs to help patients become aware of their own feelings and thoughts during the rehabilitation process.

Can “Nudge” Salvage Community Policing against Terrorism?

ABSTRACT Since the mid-2000s, the fear of “homegrown” terrorism in most developed democracies has prodded police to partner with local Muslim communities as a proactive and preventive approach to Islamic extremism. However, despite practical variations, this model of counterterrorism community policing (“CTCP”) has faced a comparable challenge—the lack of legal and moral legitimacy within counterterrorism law enforcement which erodes Muslim communities’ trust and confidence in policing. Drawing on common critiques of CTCP in the U.S., the U.K. and Australia, this article aims to proffer a behavioral-economics view to promote intended goals of CTCP. Borrowing the ideas of Nudge Theory, my discussion suggests that community engagement within CTCP could be stimulated more effectively through a subtle process of trust building whereby residents are coaxed toward cooperation through indirect encouragement, assistance and facilitation. Through a case study of CTCP in Muslim communities, it is argued that nudge entails the refrainment of the political and media narrative from conflating Islamist ideology with the prime source of domestic terrorist danger. At the grassroots level, the nudge-oriented CTCP is contingent upon community representatives taking on a more active and forefront role in CTCP with police reducing their visibility to only facilitate in the background.

From the ancient Silk Road to the belt and road initiative: Narratives, signalling and trust-building

Narratives help in interpreting and understanding surrounding political realities. Yet, the divergence of narratives may also create distrust, and it is an important reason for greatly diverging perceptions of the Belt and Road Initiative between China and the international community. This article explores how trust can be bridged between different narratives. It discusses the notions of trust and how the Chinese concept of ‘brightness’ contributes to a strategic signalling process for trust-building in strategic cooperation. This article proposes that trust-building is a process of signalling and knowledge building. Only when the signal sent for strategic cooperation fits the other parties’ knowledge about the sender, can the trust-building process succeed. This compatibility between signals and developed knowledge can be the result of several rounds of signalling, in which the signal sender’s honesty regarding their self-interests and intentions is the necessary pre-condition.