Trust as the antidote to Brexit and COVID-19: explaining how Danish SMEs’ confidence in the future of their British partnerships associates with trust

Poul Erik Flyvholm Jørgensen; N. Leila Trapp; Gert Tinggaard Svendsen; Line Skov Nielsen

Trust as the antidote to Brexit and COVID-19: explaining how Danish SMEs’ confidence in the future of their British partnerships associates with trust

Poul Erik Flyvholm Jørgensen^*, N. Leila Trapp, Gert Tinggaard Svendsen, Line Skov Nielsen

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

Trust is key to successful trading relationships and is believed to be
essential in maintaining confidence in their future, particularly if exposed to
game-changing events. Thus, this study examines how 193 Danish small and
medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) trust levels and their perceptions of how this
trust is composed correlate with their confidence in the future of trading with
their British business partners in the context of Brexit and COVID-19 towards
the end of the so-called “transition period”. The survey shows that when
Danish CEOs have high levels of trust in their business partner, they also have
strong confidence that a valued business relationship will survive exposure to
disruptive exogenous events. The survey also shows that the trust dimensions
recognised as either expertness, truthfulness, or attentiveness in a business
partner are almost equally valued and correlate equally with the respondents'
confidence in the future.

Original language	English
Journal	International Journal of Globalisation and Small Business
Volume	14
Issue	1
Pages (from-to)	62-85
Number of pages	24
ISSN	1479-3059
Publication status	Accepted/In press - 22 Mar 2024

Keywords

inter-organisational trust; confidence; uncertainty; credibility; SMEs; small and medium-sized enterprises; relationship maintenance; Brexit; COVID-19.

Cite this

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title = "Trust as the antidote to Brexit and COVID-19: explaining how Danish SMEs{\textquoteright} confidence in the future of their British partnerships associates with trust",

abstract = "Trust is key to successful trading relationships and is believed to beessential in maintaining confidence in their future, particularly if exposed togame-changing events. Thus, this study examines how 193 Danish small andmedium-sized enterprises{\textquoteright} (SMEs) trust levels and their perceptions of how thistrust is composed correlate with their confidence in the future of trading withtheir British business partners in the context of Brexit and COVID-19 towardsthe end of the so-called “transition period”. The survey shows that whenDanish CEOs have high levels of trust in their business partner, they also havestrong confidence that a valued business relationship will survive exposure todisruptive exogenous events. The survey also shows that the trust dimensionsrecognised as either expertness, truthfulness, or attentiveness in a businesspartner are almost equally valued and correlate equally with the respondents'confidence in the future.",

keywords = "inter-organisational trust; confidence; uncertainty; credibility; SMEs; small and medium-sized enterprises; relationship maintenance; Brexit; COVID-19.",

author = "J{\o}rgensen, {Poul Erik Flyvholm} and Trapp, {N. Leila} and Svendsen, {Gert Tinggaard} and {Skov Nielsen}, Line",

year = "2024",

month = mar,

day = "22",

language = "English",

volume = "14",

pages = "62--85",

journal = "International Journal of Globalisation and Small Business",

issn = "1479-3059",

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Trust as the antidote to Brexit and COVID-19: explaining how Danish SMEs’ confidence in the future of their British partnerships associates with trust. / Jørgensen, Poul Erik Flyvholm ; Trapp, N. Leila ; Svendsen, Gert Tinggaard et al.
In: International Journal of Globalisation and Small Business, Vol. 14, No. 1, 22.03.2024, p. 62-85.

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Trust as the antidote to Brexit and COVID-19

T2 - explaining how Danish SMEs’ confidence in the future of their British partnerships associates with trust

AU - Jørgensen, Poul Erik Flyvholm

AU - Trapp, N. Leila

AU - Svendsen, Gert Tinggaard

AU - Skov Nielsen, Line

PY - 2024/3/22

Y1 - 2024/3/22

N2 - Trust is key to successful trading relationships and is believed to beessential in maintaining confidence in their future, particularly if exposed togame-changing events. Thus, this study examines how 193 Danish small andmedium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) trust levels and their perceptions of how thistrust is composed correlate with their confidence in the future of trading withtheir British business partners in the context of Brexit and COVID-19 towardsthe end of the so-called “transition period”. The survey shows that whenDanish CEOs have high levels of trust in their business partner, they also havestrong confidence that a valued business relationship will survive exposure todisruptive exogenous events. The survey also shows that the trust dimensionsrecognised as either expertness, truthfulness, or attentiveness in a businesspartner are almost equally valued and correlate equally with the respondents'confidence in the future.

AB - Trust is key to successful trading relationships and is believed to beessential in maintaining confidence in their future, particularly if exposed togame-changing events. Thus, this study examines how 193 Danish small andmedium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) trust levels and their perceptions of how thistrust is composed correlate with their confidence in the future of trading withtheir British business partners in the context of Brexit and COVID-19 towardsthe end of the so-called “transition period”. The survey shows that whenDanish CEOs have high levels of trust in their business partner, they also havestrong confidence that a valued business relationship will survive exposure todisruptive exogenous events. The survey also shows that the trust dimensionsrecognised as either expertness, truthfulness, or attentiveness in a businesspartner are almost equally valued and correlate equally with the respondents'confidence in the future.

KW - inter-organisational trust; confidence; uncertainty; credibility; SMEs; small and medium-sized enterprises; relationship maintenance; Brexit; COVID-19.

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1479-3059

VL - 14

SP - 62

EP - 85

JO - International Journal of Globalisation and Small Business

JF - International Journal of Globalisation and Small Business

IS - 1

ER -

Trust as the antidote to Brexit and COVID-19: explaining how Danish SMEs’ confidence in the future of their British partnerships associates with trust

Abstract

Keywords

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