Interpersonal network structures and collective action in community organizations: a social network analysis

Purpose Studies of collective action often emphasize institutional arrangements or participation levels while paying less attention to how trust develops through relational processes. Focusing on a volunteer-based community organization, this study examined how communication, cooperation and role similarity are associated with trust formation within multiplex networks. Design/methodology/approach A whole-network survey involving 39 members was analyzed using social network analysis network structures were examined through density, reciprocity and transitivity, while relationships among network layers were assessed using quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) correlation and QAP logistic regression. Findings The findings revealed a layered relational structure in which discussion ties had the highest density (0.223), followed by cooperation (0.190) and trust ties (0.167). Approximately 45% of the ties were multiplexes, indicating that many relationships remained confined to a single relational layer. QAP regression showed that cooperation ties (β = 1.279, p < 0.001) and discussion ties (β = 1.039, p < 0.001) were positively associated with trust formation, while role homophily also showed a significant positive association (β = 0.554, p < 0.001). Trust appeared to be associated more strongly with clustered relational structures than with direct reciprocal exchange. Originality/value This study suggests that trust within volunteer-based community organizations develops through selective relational reinforcement rather than interaction alone. The findings help explain why highly connected community networks may nevertheless experience fragmented coordination and uneven patterns of trust.