| Increased understanding of collaborative activity among organizations is necessary given today's competitive environment. The rapid escalation of competition, the diminished opportunities for sustained competitive advantage, and prevalent resource constraints mean that multiple organizations must sometimes work together to achieve organizational objectives that no one organization could achieve independently. Thus, continued research is needed to understand more clearly possible factors that lead to synergy in interorganizational activity. One such factor, swift trust, is the focus of this research. Swift trust is a collective psychological state that is based on positive expectations of the intentions or behavior of another group. It develops in temporary systems and forms to manage conditions of situational vulnerability, uncertainty, and risk. The present research provides several contributions to the understanding of swift trust. First, the development and validation of the Swift Trust Scale resulted in a useful measurement tool for future studies on swift trust. Second, findings from two empirical studies suggest that swift trust influences behavioral intentions in ways that are similar, yet different, to conventional organizational trust. Third, the specification and acceptance of superordinate goals and deference to expertise appear to positively influence the behavioral consequences of swift trust in organizations, yet they do so in different ways. Ultimately, findings from the studies within this research project suggest that swift trust has the potential to play a key role for organizations involved in temporary collaborative efforts. |
