Personal Construct-Based Factors Affecting Interpersonal Trust in a Project Design Team

Abstract

Interpersonal trust is an important factor affecting the performance of the design team in a construction project. To improve the team’s performance, factors affecting interpersonal trust need to be identified thereby increasing trust between team members. A questionnaire survey of architects in project design teams is conducted in Beijing, Shanghai, and Qingdao, People’s Republic of China. Based on the personal construct theory, the survey collects personal construct-based factors which may affect interpersonal trust. Then the factors are tested using structural equation modeling method. Two significant factors i.e., “social interaction” and “attitude on work” are identified. The results suggest that team managers should enhance the social interactions between team members and provide guidance to team members about the correct attitude on work such that the level of interpersonal trust can be improved.