Establishing and maintaining trust in software outsourcing relationships: An empirical investigation

Our research objective is to understand software outsourcing practitioners’ perceptions of the role of trust in managing client–vendor relationships and the factors that are critical to trust in off-shore software outsourcing relationships. Participants were 12 Vietnamese software development practitioners developing software for Far Eastern, European, and American clients. They identified that cultural understanding, creditability, capabilities, and personal visits are important factors in gaining the initial trust of a client, while cultural understanding, communication strategies, contract conformance, and timely delivery are vital factors in maintaining that trust. We contrast Vietnamese and Indian practitioners’ views on factors affecting trust relationships.