Title: The formation of initial trust in the strategic supply chain partnership

Authors: Sang M. Lee, Mahour Mellat-Parast

Addresses: Department of Management, College of Business Administration, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA. ' Department of Economics, Finance, and Decision Sciences, School of Business Administration, University of North Carolina-Pembroke, Pembroke, NC 28372, USA

Abstract: While firms within a supply chain environment share resources and information with other partners, an initial level of trust is needed for the formation of collaborative alliance. Despite the attention given to the role of trust in supply chain literature, only a limited number of studies have been done on the formation of initial trust in the supply chain. The purpose of this article is to develop a theoretical base for the formation of initial trust in strategic partnerships in the supply chain. It is important for firms in a supply chain to have a clear assessment of the level of trust they have in their partners, especially when firms do not have any previous relationships with them. Key variables have been defined and their role on the formation of initial trust has been explained. Future research needs are also outlined.

Keywords: enterprise development; strategic partnerships; supply chain management; SCM; initial trust; supply chain collaboration; strategic alliances.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMED.2009.025264

International Journal of Management and Enterprise Development, 2009 Vol.7 No.1, pp.28 - 43

Published online: 18 May 2009 *

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