ABSTRACT
Trust has received considerable attention for the last 30 years or more in management and the last 20 years on projects (e.g. Bennett and Jayes, 1995; Egan, 1998; Meng, 2012). Trust is an attribute of relationships. If trust is present, how does it contribute to relationship management? Trust is seen as important in group emotional intelligence and relationship marketing/management in project environments (e.g. Smyth and Thompson, 2005; Druskat and Druskat, 2006). It has also been seen as an important part of relational contracting (e.g. Williamson, 1993). Yet how trust is formed, its status in relationships, its impact upon behaviour and the extent to which it can be managed is still to be fully developed.
