Structural equation model of trust and partnering success

The establishment of trust has been identified as the most critical factor that facilitates partnering success. As such, management should direct their efforts and energy to enhance trust effectively and systematically. It is hypothesized that partners' trust level is positively related to their performance, permeability, and relational bonding and can be system based. This paper reports the use of the structural equation modeling technique to test this hypothesis. Project-based data on partnering success and the relative importance of the four trust factors were collected through a questionnaire survey, and the level of partnering success was assessed by the achievement of the preset project targets. The findings of the study support the hypothesized positive relationship between the partners' trust level and partnering success. In addition, performance, permeability, and relational bonding were found to make significant contributions toward parties' trust level. ©ASCE.