Influencing Factors of Construction Industry Professionals’ Trustworthiness Based on Grounded Theory

Trust is critical in the construction industry, facilitating project execution and long-lasting stakeholder relationships. Identifying trustworthy professionals is the key to enhancing trust in the construction industry. However, information asymmetry and global socioeconomic and technological changes pose challenges to professional trust. In China, as a transition economy, the institutional environment of professional trust is still not mature enough, which makes it vital to deeply understand the professional trust formation mechanism. Therefore, this study aims to systematically identify the factors influencing the trustworthiness of professionals in the construction industry, and to explore the mechanism by which these factors work together to enhance trustworthiness. Semistructured interviews with 20 professionals were conducted to collect data to support the theoretical findings based on grounded theory, and a questionnaire with 173 responses was used as a verification. Thirty-seven influencing factors categorized into nine categories across three dimensions were identified, namely, professional status composed of professional background, professional accumulation, and social reputation; working performance composed of working effectiveness, working ability, and working attitude; and personal characteristics composed of communication ability, personality, and professionalism. Then a theoretical model was established to explain the formation mechanism of professionals’ trustworthiness and the relationship among the three dimensions and the nine categories. Theoretically, this study offers a systematic perspective on the formation of professionals’ trustworthiness, providing a more comprehensive identification of influencing factors and deeper insights into how these factors interact and evolve dynamically to shape trust in professionals. Practically, this study offers guidelines for professionals, professional organizations, employers, educational institutions, and governments to enhance trust in the construction industry, and for a comprehensive trust-enhancing digital strategy to continuously improve the professional trust level in the construction market. By focusing on China, this study also contributes a regional perspective to the global discourse on professional trust.