The Trust Cycle : The process of trust building, and the influence of trust on risk and outcomes in Public-Private Partnerships

textabstractTrust is increasingly seen as important for long-term interactions of high interdependence, such as Public Private Partnerships; trust can act as a governing mechanism in situations of high risk. The research analyses the interaction between partners in three long-term, urban regeneration partnerships, in Poland, the USA and the Netherlands and charts the changes of levels in trust between partners and other external actors over the length of the PPP, in the form of a ‘trust cycle’. It assesses whether trust can be linked to positive outcomes as perceived by the partners and the reduction in the perception of risk on the part of the partners. It analyses the factors that contribute to trust build-up (or breakdown) and concludes on the key factors present in the cases and most prevalent in building strong and resilient trust