E&M

This paper develops a hybrid framework for building value-creating trust in global knowledge collaboration. Drawing on multidisciplinary research and a five-year case study (Blade.org), we argue that neither interpersonal nor impersonal trust alone is sufficient in global contexts. Instead, sustainable collaboration emerges from the synergistic combination of social and institutional trust, cognition- and affect-based trust, generalized attitudes and specific behaviors, and reputational and action-based mechanisms. The study demonstrates how trust can be actively designed and managed across organizational and cultural boundaries to foster knowledge sharing, innovation, and value creation. We conclude by highlighting practices for enabling effective, trust-based collaboration in knowledge-intensive industries.