Section IV: Towards Trust Models

The four chapters of the final section of the book focus on the development of trust models. In Chapter 9 Kirsimarja Blomqvist and Pirjo St hle discuss the impact and nature of trust in the context of the formation of technology partnerships. The contribution of the analysis, supported by empirical results of a study in Finnish high-technology partnerships, is based on the authors' previous research in the topical area. Their contribution also relates to providing very appropriate ideas about how to operationalize the very multidimensional and multidisciplinary concept of trust to examine its manifestations in real life settings. The authors aim at modelling trust by bringing together the concepts of capability, goodwill, behavior, and self-reference. While the three first components are mentioned often when illustrating the concept of trust, the concept of self-reference is new, and offers a fresh and insightful addition to the conceptualization of trust and trust models in relation to organizational behavior.

In Chapter 9 Andreina Mandelli provides an appropriate background to almost every chapter of this book. By examining the development of society towards a networked economy, she demonstrates also in a critical manner potential pitfalls of this development and also opportunities that are opening up with this development. Her contribution is even controversial to mainstream academic research and thinking. The focus is placed on the role of trust in new forms of organizing for performing, and on the origins of new transaction costs in connected societies. A very unique and analytical view of the frictionless paradigm is provided with a breadth of theoretical insights combined with a novel analysis. Overall, the chapter provides fresh viewpoints and excellent theoretical discussions with clear practical interests as well.

In Chapter 10 Andreina Mandelli takes some of the ideas presented in Chapter 1 by Huotari and Iivonen further by exploring the complexity of the interplay of trust, self-organization and hierarchies in value networks. She presents an ambitious and exciting review of trust literature that allows the author to develop novel insights and an innovative framework for investigating organizational trust. Mandelli's approach is energized and original to organizational trust that builds on earlier solid empirical work, such as studies by Castelfranchi. Moreover, a theoretical model of cognitive value networks is presented. The chapter contributes excellently to the content of the book and literature on organizational trust.

In the Chapter 11 Rino Falcone and Cristiano Castelfranchi aim at providing a formal foundation and definition of the concept of trust. They present a socio-cognitive analysis of trust at the system's level. Moreover, they analyze the cognitive ingredients of trust and show how these elements are the basis for various kind of delegation. Furthermore, Falcone and Castelfranchi formalize trust into a mathematical model and argue that their model enables building artificial systems where the ingredients of trust could be presented.

Together these four sections of the book including 11 chapters provide a rather extensive description of trust in relation to knowledge and information-intensive activities and management of knowledge-based production within organizations and even beyond. As the editors of the book we are aware that many aspects will still remain unexplored in this book. Therefore, we also welcome and look forward to further exploration and rigorous academic studies as well as practical applications in this highly topical area of research.