Abstract

Contract and trust are the two main governance mechanisms that influence actors’ integration into value chains. Nevertheless, most studies treat trust as a complement to formal contract, paying less attention on the circumstances in which trust becomes a sole mechanism of governance. The aim of this article is to examine how trust shapes integration in the non-industrial timber value chain in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. Timber, which is the pillar of the districts’ revenue in the area, contributes significantly to the income of smallholder households. The study adopted an exploratory cross-sectional study design whereby data were collected mainly through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with actors of the timber value chain. The findings showed that spot market and relational governance were the two main linkages in the timber value chain. Spot market linkage is characterized by absence or little trust, while some trust is present in relational linkage. In relational linkage, trust helps integration of actors in the value chain through enabling them access market information, capital in the form of credit, technology for processing timber, and coordination and collaboration among the actors. However, trust is associated with some challenges and to some actors, it plays an exclusionary role. The study recommends for the promotion of trust along with other social control mechanisms such as social knowledge in order to address these challenges.

摘要

契约和信任是影响参与者融入价值链的两种主要治理机制。然而，大多数研究将信任视为对正式合同的补充，较少关注信任成为唯一治理机制的情况。本文的目的是研究信任如何影响坦桑尼亚南部高地非工业木材价值链的整合。木材是该地区地区收入的支柱，对小农家庭的收入贡献很大。该研究采用探索性横断面研究设计，主要通过深入访谈和与木材价值链参与者的焦点小组讨论来收集数据。研究结果表明，现货市场和关系治理是木材价值链中的两个主要联系。现货市场联动的特点是信任缺失或缺乏信任，而关系联动中存在一定的信任。在关系联系中，信任通过使他们能够获取市场信息、信贷形式的资本、木材加工技术以及参与者之间的协调与协作，帮助他们整合价值链中的参与者。然而，信任与一些挑战有关，对一些参与者来说，它起着排他性的作用。该研究建议促进信任以及社会知识等其他社会控制机制，以应对这些挑战。而在关系联系中存在一些信任。在关系联系中，信任通过使他们能够获取市场信息、信贷形式的资本、木材加工技术以及参与者之间的协调与协作，帮助他们整合价值链中的参与者。然而，信任与一些挑战有关，对一些参与者来说，它起着排他性的作用。该研究建议促进信任以及社会知识等其他社会控制机制，以应对这些挑战。而在关系联系中存在一些信任。在关系联系中，信任通过使他们能够获取市场信息、信贷形式的资本、木材加工技术以及参与者之间的协调与协作，帮助他们整合价值链中的参与者。然而，信任与一些挑战有关，对一些参与者来说，它起着排他性的作用。该研究建议促进信任以及社会知识等其他社会控制机制，以应对这些挑战。信任与一些挑战有关，对一些行为者来说，它起着排他性的作用。该研究建议促进信任以及社会知识等其他社会控制机制，以应对这些挑战。信任与一些挑战有关，对一些行为者来说，它起着排他性的作用。该研究建议促进信任以及社会知识等其他社会控制机制，以应对这些挑战。