The value of trust in inter-organizational relations

The article presents the results of empirical research on the role of trust in inter-organizational relations (IORs) and its outcomes. We questioned 210 Polish large and medium sized companies in different industries, experienced in IORs of different kind with Polish and foreign partners. We used a set of non-parametric analyses: Spearman correlation, mediation analyses with bootstrapping and structural equations modeling with RML (Robust Maximum Likelihood). Our findings confirm the statistically relevant correlations between the interpersonal trust of individuals and teams, the trust-building competence of organization and the outcomes of the cooperative relationships of companies. Additionally, the trust-building competence of organization serves as a mediator in the relations of interpersonal trust and IORs outcomes. Keywords: organizational trust, interpersonal trust, relational competence, inter-organizational co-operation effectiveness and efficiency