Trust-building processes in tourist coopetition: The case of a Polish region

This study examines the role of trust in establishing collaboration between two individual competing tourism firms. The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by investigating how various trust-building processes influence dyadic coopetition in five municipalities in Poland. The literature suggests eight different trust-building mechanisms at various levels of analysis and collaborative endeavors. Our results indicate four processes important to start dyadic coopetition, which are based on: calculation, emotional bond, reputation and embeddedness in social networks. Our findings also show that if trust based on calculation is not reported, then even several trust-building processes combined do not lead to coopetition. Moreover, trust does not appear as a homogenous concept, and different trust-building processes do generate different effects. The results show that trust may play both positive and negative roles in coopetition formation.