What is Inter-personal trust

Through a case study based on a knowledge-sharing community of Danish plant growers, this chapter examines how an IT system can be designed to support strategic knowledge-sharing between firms participating in an industry-based virtual community. A suitable environment for trust is seen as an important part of making the community function effectively. Therefore, the system aims to support community members in making trust decisions related to knowledge-sharing. In the presented system decisions are based on digital evidence in the form of system-managed credentials. The chapter presents a model for trust, reputation, and performance management which supports the needs of the specific type of knowledge-sharing community. Further, the model is linked to an underlying public key infrastructure framework which supports the secure exchange of information and credentials between community members.