Building trust in public sector networks: the role of rhetoric and persuasion

Dudau, A. , Favotto, A. , Kominis, G. and Sicilia, M. (2020) Building trust in public sector networks: the role of rhetoric and persuasion. Financial Accountability and Management, 36(2), pp. 134-150. (doi: 10.1111/faam.12229)

Abstract

This study investigates how rhetoric is used to generate trust in public sector inter‐organisational networks. Drawing on evidence from a Local Safeguarding Children Board in England, where formal control systems were recognised to be insufficient to deal with the uncertainty inherent in the particular policy area, we explore how trustworthiness is negotiated amongst network partners through network leaders’ use of persuasive rhetoric. The main contribution that we bring to the existing literature is providing a description of the processes through which trust is generated in a public sector multi‐partner setting. Our findings suggest that these are established within a feedforward control framework within the given network setting.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Dudau, Professor Adina and Kominis, Dr Georgios and Favotto, Dr Alvise
• Authors: Dudau, A., Favotto, A., Kominis, G., and Sicilia, M.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > Adam Smith Business School > Accounting and Finance; College of Social Sciences > Adam Smith Business School > Management
• Journal Name: Financial Accountability and Management
• Publisher: Wiley
• ISSN: 0267-4424
• ISSN (Online): 1468-0408
• Published Online: 16 January 2020
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2020 John Wiley and Sons Ltd
• First Published: First published in Financial Accountability and Management 36(2):134-150
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy