Rethinking Control and Trust Dynamics in and between Organizations

Abstract

Control and trust issues are at the heart of collaboration in and between organizations. In this introduction to the Special Issue (SI) on the control-trust dynamics, we first propose an integrative framework to take stock of the main themes discussed in both the micro and macro literature. We then contextualize how the papers in this issue flesh out key mechanisms underlying the interplay between control and trust over time. The remainder of the introduction highlights directions for future research by refining and extending our understanding of control and trust as mechanisms of collaboration across levels of analysis. Our future research suggestions are organized around the main building blocks of control-trust research: (1) constructs, (2) interactions, (3) actors, (4) temporal dynamics, (5) outcomes, and (6) context.