UNVERILING THE TRUST JOURNEY IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS: INSIGHTS FROM THE CONTRACTOR'S PERSPECTIVE

Liuying Zhu; Yi Ding; Jialong Wong

Abstract:

In the dynamic environment of project-based collaborations, trust between project owners and contractors is critical for fostering effective partnerships and ensuring successful outcomes. However, much of the existing research on trust in these settings tends to adopt a static perspective. It is therefore important to explore how trust evolves over the course of a project. This study investigates the dynamic nature of trust throughout the project lifecycle, specifically examining the development of competence trust, integrity trust, and intuitive trust at three key stages: pre-contract, during project execution, and post-delivery. The findings indicate that contractors' trust level dynamics follow a U-shaped curve, with overall trust decreasing during the construction phase and recovering after project delivery. Competence trust remains the highest throughout the project, while integrity trust exhibits the most noticeable decline over time. Notably, intuitive trust is the only dimension that shows a recovery in the later stages, emphasizing its importance in sustaining long-term cooperation. Based on these findings, the study emphasizes the need for a stage-specific approach to trust management throughout the project lifecycle. To foster trust at each stage, this study recommends establishing clear competence evaluation criteria to assess partners' capabilities before the contract is signed, promoting the sharing of reputation and performance data to develop intuitive trust during the execution phase, and strengthening integrity through consistent ethical behavior, as well as making proactive commitments to manage risks post-delivery. This research provides valuable insights for practitioners on how to manage trust effectively and optimize collaboration, ultimately improving project performance.