Introduction


Trust is a key concern in the digital era. This chapter considers the role of trust in inter-organizational and interpersonal virtual interactions. A variety of definitions of trust, including those related to benevolence, integrity, competence, and predictability (Manchala, 2000; McKnight & Chervany, 2001) are evident in the literature. However, regardless of how the concept of trust is defined, there is agreement about the importance of trust's central role in virtual interactions. Growth in virtual inter- and intra-organizational interactions results from the convergence of two trends: first, technological advancements that revolutionize communication between firms and individuals by establishing linkages for value-laden shared knowledge; and second, the growing recognition of the importance of knowledge and innovation for networked organizations (Scott, 2000). Thus, organizations can add value by managing knowledge and developing core competencies outside the organization, and between the organization and its strategic partners (Zigurs & Qureshi, 2000).

In order to investigate trust more fully, this chapter introduces a digital era interaction (DEI) matrix to support exploration of trust relationships at multiple levels: between individuals, individuals and organizations, and between organizations. It considers each of these interaction aspects in turn, focusing on recent research projects as examples, and then draws together the common themes and identifies implications for further research.




Social and Economic Transformation in the Digital Era
Social and Economic Transformation in the Digital Era
ISBN: 1591402670
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 198

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