Unpacking trust in creative entrepreneurial teams

Sammanfattning

This study examines how trust is established and evolves in early-stage creative entrepreneurial teams. Using a qualitative cross-case analysis grounded in Richard Florida’s Creative Class Theory, this research explores the emergence and development of trust across three distinct team configurations: Super-Creative, Creative-Professional, and Bohemian teams. Data was collected through a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews with purposefully sampled early-stage startup teams. To ensure a comprehensive understanding, the analysis triangulated three core dimensions: team structural backgrounds, verbal testimonies and non-verbal communication dynamics observed between co-founders. The findings demonstrate that trust mechanisms may vary depending on the team’s dominant creative background, with different teams depending on distinct combinations of historical competence, structured communication and value alignment. Furthermore, the study highlights how integrating minority-background founders can introduce critical trust turbulence, which can act as either a destructive force or a catalyst for structural improvement. Ultimately, the study culminates in the development of the Trust and Effective Teamwork Model, illustrating the processual journey of how creative entrepreneurial teams transform into stable, high-performing collaboration. Finally, this research expands on the current theories and literature surrounding entrepreneurial team dynamics and provides practical recommendations for founders to intentionally build, structure and manage trust during the volatile early stages of venture development.