Trust-building in international business ventures

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate collaboration and coordination practices in the organisation whose members come from two countries that differ dramatically in generalised trust: Poland and the USA. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative field study conducted in Silicon Valley-based American-Polish start-up joint venture. Findings – There are three mechanisms can facilitate collaboration in organisations that differ in generalised trust: frequent interaction that may form a basis for knowledge-based trust, professional cultures that provide common platform for communication, and presence of intermediaries that possess understanding and ability to communicate of both cultures. Practical implications – The findings can be applied in the context of offshoring projects in knowledge intensive industries. Originality/value – Research presented in this paper investigates collaboration of parties from low-trust and high-trust cultures within one business venture.