Prior ties and trust development in project teams – A case study from the construction industry

• Development of trust is crucial but can be challenging in the context of cross-functional project teams.
• The history of interactions and prior ties between team members can affect trust development.
• Positive prior ties can lead to early development trust in the team by contributing to early formation of integrative work practices, development of a common philosophy, open communication and early and clear role expectations.
• Early trust and integration in cross-functional teams creates favorable conditions for a good start of the project.

The limited duration and the high time constraints facing projects may pose challenges to the development of working relationships in project teams. Relationships can be influenced by the history of interactions and prior ties between team members. Development of trust is crucial but challenging in the context of cross-functional project teams and prior ties can have imperative influence on the team’s ability to create trust. Through a case study in the construction industry, we explore how prior ties between team members influence the development of trust. We identify four important aspects; early formation of integrative work practices, development of a common philosophy, open communication, early and clear role expectations, all contributing to development of trust in an early phase. Our findings offer new, empirical insights into the complex nature of temporary project work and underscore the significance of prior ties in facilitating early trust and integration within project teams.