Glocalizing Trust: The Role of IT in a De-Coupling Industrial District

This paper addresses a specific problem that may arise as consequence of the globalization of the markets. This is the incompatibility between local and global standards of trust. The literature highlights the advantage of co-localization for the production of mutual trust. However, the type of trust produced may be informal and indeed largely incompatible with base of trust in open electronic commerce. This paper focuses on the glocalization of trust, the concurrent development of local and global standards of trust. It has two major goals. Identifying the major factors influencing the local production of global-codified trust. Addressing three alternative strategies local system implements to create compatibility: de-coupling, coupling and loosely coupling. We address some initial evidences in the case of a de-coupling district.