Trust in the context of strategic alliances

This paper explores the phenomenon of trust and its significance in the context of strategic alliances. Following a discussion of the literature, exploratory, qualitative case study based research is presented in order to develop an improved understanding of the phenomenon. The findings of the study show that trust plays a significant role in strategic alliances, being used as a risk reduction strategy as alliances are initiated. An extensive list of antecedents proposed in the literature is supported as are three levels of development. The paper’s contribution lies in the development of an extended model of trust, its drivers, antecedents and levels and how these influence subsequent perceptions.