Trust in a business-to-business (B2B) context is frequently cited but often poorly understood. Yet its importance continues to grow as a central driver of successful and enduring B2B relationships.
Research into B2B trust demonstrates that trust is not static. It is dynamic and can be proactively developed. Recent doctoral research has offered a refined definition of trust in a B2B context:
“The willingness to be vulnerable to another party and the decision to engage in actions based upon an interpretation of their ability, credibility, and the expectations of mutual value exchange over time”
(Hollyoake, 2020).
Building on this foundation, the Applied Marketing Research Group aims to extend this work by exploring trust development more deeply through the lens of ‘boundary spanner relationships’. Specifically, the research focuses on the pivotal role boundary spanners play in the development of relational trust.
For those unfamiliar with the term, boundary spanners are, in simple terms, individuals or agents who operate across organisational boundaries, working on both sides of a relationship. According to Möllering (2002), boundary spanners are responsible for managing the “leap of faith” inherent in trust development, including the identification, mitigation, and management of risk (see Figure 1).
The trust building potential of ‘Boundary Spanners’:
Neal, Neal and Brutzman (2022), in ‘The activities boundary spanners undertake in the development of trust-based relationships’, identify a range of definitions associated with boundary spanning. They describe it as work that enables exchange between the production and use of knowledge in order to support evidence-informed decision-making within a specific context.
Similarly, Bednarek et al. (2018) define boundary spanning as facilitating the exchange between knowledge creation and its application, while Posner and Cvitanovic (2019) emphasise the role of individuals or organisations that actively enable this process.
Crucially, the boundary spanner role is not governed by a fixed or prescriptive set of rules (Perrone, Zaheer, & McEvily, 2003). Instead, it is often open to interpretation and shaped by multiple, complex and sometimes conflicting pressures (Kahn et al., 1964). As a result, trust development cannot be predicted solely on the basis of formal role definitions. To understand how trust emerges, we must look beyond job titles and examine how roles are enacted in practice.
Boundary spanners play a critical mitigating role in the transition from relational intent (intangible) to relational action (tangible). By reducing perceived vulnerability, they lessen the magnitude of the “leap of faith” required to move a relationship forward. This supports earlier work by Näslund (2012, p.23), who suggests that while interpretation and expectation are largely cognitive processes, the leap of faith relies more heavily on affective elements.
Herein lies a paradox.
While the theory of trust development appears relatively straightforward, its application in practice is far more complex.
The original doctoral research into B2B relational trust provided insights into the dynamic nature of trust, how it operates, its impact on B2B relationships and how it can be proactively developed. This work led to the development of the B2B Trust DNA™ Model (Figure 1).
Existing literature addresses several aspects of the boundary spanner’s role in managing the progression of relationships. When considered alongside the Trust DNA™ Model, two key themes begin to emerge:
- The activities boundary spanners undertake to mitigate actual or perceived risk when moving from intangible to tangible trust and the actors involved in this process.
- The specific elements of the boundary spanner role on both the customer and supplier sides that contribute to the development of trust-based relationships.
Exploring these themes offers an opportunity to better understand the nuances of the boundary spanner role and how it can be deliberately leveraged to strengthen trust and improve relationships. Understanding how trust is built can inform capability and competency development, role design and targeted development programmes for both early-career professionals and those already operating in boundary-spanning roles. It also has wider organisational and leadership implications, particularly where leaders themselves act as boundary spanners or are responsible for leading inter-organisational relationships.
The Applied Marketing Research Group is currently at the initial stage of this next phase of research into relationship trust building. The project is designed to generate insight into the two themes outlined above and will be conducted in three stages:
- Qualitative shaping
- Qualitative refining
- Quantitative defining
If you would like to learn more about the project or explore opportunities to get involved, please feel free to contact Dr Ed Little, Dr Mark Hollyoake or Professor Mario Vafeas.
