Partners’ Knowledge and Project Success: The Mediating Role of Trust in Partners

This study aims to examine how partners’ knowledge impacts project success by employing survey questionnaire to collect data and Structural Equation Modeling for data analysis. Specifically, it investigates how three key aspects of partners’ knowledge—similarity, complementarity, and coverage—influence trust between partners and subsequently impact project outcomes. The research findings show that three partners’ knowledge attributes are significantly associated with inter-partner trust: knowledge similarity enhances trust by reducing misunderstandings and fostering familiarity; complementary knowledge builds confidence by demonstrating the unique value each partner contributes; and comprehensive knowledge coverage boosts trust by assuring partners of the team's collective capability to address all project challenges. Furthermore, the study finds that trust is a crucial mediating factor facilitating project success, as the interplay of knowledge dimensions creates a foundation for trust through various mechanisms: reducing uncertainty, enhancing communication, increasing perceived competence, fostering mutual dependence, boosting problem-solving confidence, aligning expectations, and stimulating innovation potential. The results highlight the value of partner selection based on balanced knowledge profiles and the need for knowledge-sharing practices within the partnership to enhance overall knowledge coverage. Additionally, organizations should prioritize trust-building activities alongside technical aspects of project management.