The mechanics of trust: a framework for research and design

With an increasing number of technologies supporting transactions over distance and replacing traditional forms of interaction, designing for trust in mediated interactions has become a key concern for researchers in human computer interaction (HCI). While much of this research focuses on increasing users’ trust, we present a framework that shifts the perspective towards factors that support trustworthy behavior. In a second step, we analyze how the presence of these factors can be signalled. We argue that it is essential to take a systemic perspective for enabling well-placed trust and trustworthy behavior in the long term. For our analysis we draw on relevant research from sociology, economics, and psychology, as well as HCI. We identify contextual properties (motivation based on temporal, social, and institutional embeddedness) and the actor's intrinsic properties (ability, and motivation based on internalized norms and benevolence) that form the basis of trustworthy behavior. Our analysis provides a frame of reference for the design of studies on trust in technology-mediated interactions, as well as a guide for identifying trust requirements in design processes. We demonstrate the application of the framework in three scenarios: call centre interactions, B2C e-commerce, and voice-enabled on-line gaming

The case of online trust

“The original publication is available at www.springerlink.com”. Copyright SpringerThis paper contributes to the debate on online trust addressing the problem of whether an online environment satisfies the necessary conditions for the emergence of trust. The paper defends the thesis that online environments can foster trust, and it does so in three steps. Firstly, the arguments proposed by the detractors of online trust are presented and analysed. Secondly, it is argued that trust can emerge in uncertain and risky environments and that it is possible to trust online identities when they are diachronic and sufficient data are available to assess their reputation. Finally, a definition of trust as a second-order property of first-order relation is endorsed in order to present a new definition of online trust. According to such a definition, online trust is an occurrence of trust that specifically qualifies the relation of communication ongoing among individuals in digital environments. On the basis of this analysis, the paper concludes by arguing that online trust promotes the emergence of social behaviours rewarding honest and transparent communications.Peer reviewe

The Influence of Trust in Traditional Contracting: Investigating the "Lived Experience" of Stakeholders

The traditional procurement approach is ever-present within the construction industry. With fundamental design principles founded on definitive risk allocation, this transactional based approach fails to acknowledge or foster the cooperative relationships considered to be vital to the success of any project. Contractual design encourages stakeholders to defend their own individual interest to the likely detriment of project objectives. These failings are not disputed, however, given that trust is a fundamental requirement for human interaction the influence of trust is potentially important in terms of stakeholder relationships and ultimate project success. Trust is therefore examined within this context. A conceptual framework of trust is presented and subsequently used to code and analyse detailed, semi-structured interviews with multiple stakeholders from different projects. Using a phenomenological investigation of trust via the lived experiences of multiple practitioners, issues pertaining to the formation and maintenance of trust within traditionally procured construction projects are examined. Trust was found to be integral to the lived experiences of practitioners, with both good and bad relationships evident within the constructs of traditional procurement mechanisms. In this regard, individual personalities were considered significant, along with appropriate risk identification and management. Communication, particularly of an informal nature, was also highlighted. A greater emphasis on project team selection during the initial stages of a project would therefore be beneficial, as would careful consideration of the allocation of risk. Contract design would also be enhanced through prescriptive protocols for developing and maintaining trust, along with mandated mechanisms for informal communication, particularly when responding to negative events. A greater understanding regarding the consequences of lost trust and the intricacies of trust repair would also be of value. 

A personal networking solution

This paper presents an overview of research being conducted on Personal Networking Solutions within the Mobile VCE Personal Distributed Environment Work Area. In particular it attempts to highlight areas of commonality with the MAGNET initiative. These areas include trust of foreign devices and service providers, dynamic real-time service negotiation to permit context-aware service delivery, an automated controller algorithm for wireless ad hoc networks, and routing protocols for ad hoc networking environments. Where possible references are provided to Mobile VCE publications to enable further reading

Perceived competence and credit access of SMEs: can trust change the rules of the game?

Banks play an essential role in financing firms and especially small and medium en-terprises (SMEs). The process used by banks to decide whether and how much to lend is complex and banks rely on different lending techniques. Relationship lending, by leveraging a variety of private information gathered through contact with the firm, its owner, and the local community, has a peculiar role and can benefit SMEs by providing them with easier access to credit. No previous research focuses specifically on the perceived competence of the entrepreneur or the owner/manager of the firm as well as on competence as a substitute of trust. The present paper tries to fill this gap. The research is based on a panel of 535 entrepreneurial SMEs which operate in the widely studied and economically successful North East of Italy. The data were collected by administering a survey to bank managers of local community banks and of two national banks. The regressions show that competence is positively related to overall credit gained and negatively related to interest rate. In addition, in low trusted SMEs, credit gained is positively related to competence while the interest rate is negatively linked to competence. In highly trusted firms, these relationships are not significant. Our findings support the point that competence is an important factor irrespective of the quality of the firm and that it is a substitute for trust in low-trusted SMEs. The findings have two major implications: banks should develop tools that are capable to catch the competence of the entrepreneurs irrespective of the performance of the firm depicted in the firms' data; the entrepreneurs need to effectively communicate their competences to the relevant stakeholders such as the bank managers. Thus, perceived competence can play an important role during economic downturns when the performance of the firm is affected by hostile eco-nomic environment

Supply Chain Engagement Through Relationship Management?

Many studies carried out in relation to construction procurement methods have revealed evidence that there needs to be a change of culture and attitude in the construction industry, moving away from traditional adversarial relationships to cooperative and collaborative relationships. At the same time there is also increasing concern and discussion on alternative procurement methods, involving a movement away from traditional procurement systems. Relational contracting approaches, such as relationship management, are business strategies whereby client, commercial participants' and stakeholders' objectives are aligned. This paper reviews a range of relationship management project case studies undertaken between public and private organisations in Queensland, Australia and reports on the critical factors identified that influence the success of relationship management projects. The research takes place within the context of the supply chain and reflects attempts by a government agency to engage the supply chain through relationship management approaches. The advantages accruing from engagement include community benefit, added value and innovation. Relationship management is a system that provides a collaborative environment and a framework for all participants to adapt their behaviour to project objectives and allows for engagement of those subcontractors and suppliers 'down the supply chain'. It is about open communication, sharing resources and experiences, exposing the 'hidden' risks in the project for the benefit of all participants. The case studies suggest that leadership has a strong influence on the relationship management climate which needs to be facilitated and nurtured. Commitment and action by the senior management (and, so, parent organisations) can have a strong impact on the team and relationship management culture, indicating relationship management has a high chance of failure when there is inadequate support from top management. Like all relational contracting approaches, trust between relationship management partners is important. The authors conclude that without a positive approach to relationship management a sustainable industry and continuous improvement are not possible. So, the authors postulate that a 'sustainable supply chain' is essentially tautological without the existence of a clear relational vision that leads to both soft and hard infrastructure to assist and inform decision making and encourage relationship building. An example of this is discussed at the end of the paper

Fixing feedback revision rules in online markets

Feedback withdrawal mechanisms in online markets aim to facilitate the resolution of conflicts during transactions. Yet, frequently used online feedback withdrawal rules are flawed and may backfire by inviting strategic transaction and feedback behavior. Our laboratory experiment shows how a small change in the design of feedback withdrawal rules, allowing unilateral rather than mutual withdrawal, can both reduce incentives for strategic gaming and improve coordination of expectations. This leads to less trading risk, more cooperation, and higher market efficiency.Series: Department of Strategy and Innovation Working Paper Serie

No. 41: The Quality of Migration Services Delivery in South Africa

The South African Department of Home Affairs (DHA) is responsible for the implementation and management of migration policy and legislation, as well as the registration of births, marriages and deaths and the issuing of identity documents and passports. It is often criticised in the media and in private conversation for being administratively inefficient, cumbersome and unwieldy. South African and foreign customers reportedly regularly complain about the poor quality of services delivered by the Department. Such evidence and media reporting underpins the widelyheld belief that the Department is not easily accessible, is unresponsive to the needs of its customers, is riddled with corruption and, to the extent that systems are in place to provide efficient and quality services, is poorly managed. In recent years, the DHA has also been plagued by a number of incidents of corruption and mismanagement and a protracted and controversial process of drafting new immigration legislation. At the same time, several incidents were reported that suggested there was significant tension between former IFP Home Affairs Minister Buthelezi and the ANC Director-General of Home Affairs. These factors contributed to the general sense that the Department was in disarray, and had not made any progress in improving its ability to deliver services in a timely manner, or towards living up to the criteria set out in the Departmental Standards brochure published in 1997. The Southern African Migration Project (SAMP) therefore proposed to test current per ceptions of the Department through a study of the quality of services delivered: the Services Quality Survey (SQS) project. In SAMP’s view, the value of implementing such a project lies in assessing and comparing the views, preferences and expectations of service consumers with those of the service providers. By developing an understanding of the constraints that hinder performance and the factors that enhance performance, the results of the SQS are intended to be used as a baseline against which to assess and benchmark current performance and service standards, and to set realistic targets and objectives to improve service delivery in the future. In the SQS project, interviews were conducted with Departmental officials, citizens and non-citizens nationwide using structur ed questionnaires. The questionnaires administered to citizens and non-citizens were largely the same, though non-citizens were also asked about their country of origin, their reason for entering the country, and how frequently they visited South Africa. The questionnaire administered to officials included questions about length of service, job satisfaction, knowledge of policies and legislation administered by the Department, national ser vice standards principles such as Batho Pele, and internal Departmental regulations and procedures. Inter views with officials, citizens and non-citizens were conducted in and around the offices of the Department that had been pre-selected in each province. At the completion of the fieldwork component of the survey, 179 officials, 2 120 citizens and 968 non-citizens had been interviewed. The SQS first sought to establish the level of familiarity that officials have with key legislation, policies administered by the Department and their impact on service delivery, as well as knowledge of internal Departmental policies and regulations: Nearly 40% of officials indicated that they were “unfamiliar” with the Immigration Act of 2002. Of these, 66% had been employed by the DHA for six years or more. An even higher 60% of officials said they were unfamiliar with the Refugees Act of 1998. This included officials at offices where staff were most likely to come into contact with asylumseekers: 53% of officials at Border Posts and 55% at Airports. Officials are more familiar with the national Batho Pele Principles of 1998, perhaps due to widespread advertising and visibility in DHA Offices. Nearly 90% were familiar with the Batho Pele principles. However, when asked to list some of Batho Pele’s most important principles, many were unable to mention them directly. With regard to the Home Affairs Turnaround Strategy launched in October of 2003, only 40% of officials had heard of the Strategy. One of the central aims of the SQS was to compare customer perceptions about the DHA with those of officials working within the Department. Amongst the most frequent anecdotal complaints heard about the DHA is that office locations are inaccessible, infrastructur e and physical conditions are poor, and resources, in terms of facilities and available equipment, are limited. When asked about proximity to, and accessibility of, DHA offices, the majority of citizens (86%) reported that it took less than one hour of travel to arrive at the office where the interview took place. The majority of citizens either traveled by taxi (42%), drove in their own car (19%) or walked (19%) to the office. Amongst non-citizens, 94% of those visiting an office, as opposed to passing through a border post or airport, were able to reach the DHA in one hour or less. Some 83% of non-citizens interviewed at a Regional Office and 73% of those at District Offices were able to reach the DHA in one hour or less. A second common complaint about the DHA is a lack of good customer service, often linked to negative attitudes of officials at the front line of interactions with the public. As one of the main focuses of the Survey, officials and customers were asked about their perceptions and experiences of service delivery in the DHA. In answering a range of questions about customer service, the majority of respondents were surprisingly positive: they felt that they were treated fairly, there was little discrimination in terms of how different groups were treated, and officials were interested in hearing what they thought. Officials and customers sampled were asked a series of questions closely linked to the Batho Pele Principles, which address service delivery issues such as consultation on service quality and choice, information, access, courtesy in treatment, transparency, redress, and value for money. Here, while it was apparent that officials and customers were aware of the Batho Pele programme, familiarity with its principles, and the extent to which the Department was implementing these principles, was not as good. To further understand how DHA customers are treated, specific questions were asked about perceptions of the attitudes of Departmental staff. Official, citizen and non-citizen respondents were asked whether DHA staff within the office where the interview took place were: friendly or unfriendly, attentive or inattentive, cooperative or uncooperative, patient or impatient, helpful or unhelpful, considerate or inconsiderate, polite or impolite, at ease or anxious, honest or misleading, trusting or suspicious, knowledgeable or not knowledgeable, and interested or not interested in their jobs. Across the citizens and non-citizens sampled, the results of the survey show that customers felt the attitudes of DHA staff were extremely positive overall. Interestingly, officials themselves were somewhat less positive about the attitudes of DHA staff. Customers were asked a series of questions on their experiences with service delivery at the DHA on the day they were interviewed, as this was thought to have a likely impact on whether respondents viewed the Department positively or negatively overall. Rates of satisfaction with the customer service received were also consistently high, with 87% of citizens and 92% of non-citizens reporting that they were satisfied with the level of service they had received. Similarly, 85% of citizens and 92% of non-citizens responded that they were satisfied with their overall experience as a customer at the Department of Home Affairs on the day they were interviewed. In addition to examining satisfaction levels on the day they were interviewed, customers and officials were asked more generally about their opinions on the current performance of the DHA. Again, in terms of overall performance, efficiency, fair treatment and general satisfaction with service delivery, the majority of customers expressed positive views. Similarly, in terms of levels of corruption and trustworthiness, very few customers and officials believe that corruption is a widespread problem. At the same time, customers and officials expressed a low level of tolerance for practices that might constitute or lead to corruption, though non-citizens appear to have a slightly higher level of tolerance for such practices. Very few respondents reported actual experiences of corruption, either directly or indirectly. In overall terms, the survey results suggest that perhaps the DHA is not in such a crisis in terms of service delivery, customer relations, and attitudes of staff. The customers sampled were positively disposed towards the Department, and were optimistic regarding its ability to continue delivering quality services. It is not possible to explain exactly why these findings are so inconsistent with media depictions, anecdotal evidence of broader public opinion, and the negative assessment made by the Director-General himself. However, it is important to understand the contextual factors that may have contributed to shaping the opinions and perceptions of the respondents. Further, the positive results of the survey do not mean that there are no problems or issues to be addressed within Home Affairs. Although the results of the survey indicate a higher quality of service delivery than perhaps originally anticipated, the question to ask is whether there are measures that the DHA can take to further enhance the positive perceptions of its customers and officials and to improve service delivery. Finally, the results presented in this report provide baseline data and a benchmark against which to measure the future performance of the Department, particularly in terms of levels of customer satisfaction with service quality. One of the key recommendations made in this report is that consideration should be given to administering a similar survey at regular intervals as a means of continuous assessment and as a basis for ongoing efforts to improve performance and the quality of services

Fuzzy argumentation for trust

In an open Multi-Agent System, the goals of agents acting on behalf of their owners often conflict with each other. Therefore, a personal agent protecting the interest of a single user cannot always rely on them. Consequently, such a personal agent needs to be able to reason about trusting (information or services provided by) other agents. Existing algorithms that perform such reasoning mainly focus on the immediate utility of a trusting decision, but do not provide an explanation of their actions to the user. This may hinder the acceptance of agent-based technologies in sensitive applications where users need to rely on their personal agents. Against this background, we propose a new approach to trust based on argumentation that aims to expose the rationale behind such trusting decisions. Our solution features a separation of opponent modeling and decision making. It uses possibilistic logic to model behavior of opponents, and we propose an extension of the argumentation framework by Amgoud and Prade to use the fuzzy rules within these models for well-supported decisions