Toward a Theory of Dyadic Trust in Family Firms: How Kinship Complicates the Trajectory of Mutual Trust

Mutual trust within workplace dyads is key to forging productive relationships and facilitating organizational success. Yet, we know little about the relationship factors that explain why some dyads develop and maintain mutual trust while other dyads fail to do so. This is particularly true in family firms, where dyadic kinship factors challenge implicit assumptions and theoretical tenets of trust research. Thus, we offer a novel, contextually grounded perspective on dyadic trust by theorizing how kinship complicates the trajectory of mutual trust in family firms. Our framework illuminates how family firms offer a unique and opportune context to extend trust research.