与现有研究认为组织间信任是在跨组织合作关系建立后通过长期频繁交互而产生的观点不同，本项目试图探讨：组织间信任是否可以在关系建立之前，通过不断感知和解读对方所展现的契约制定能力而形成？本项目首先探索契约制定能力的构成维度及内涵，其次探讨契约制定能力的不同维度对组织间善意信任和能力信任的影响，以及感知承诺和感知专业性在其中的中介作用、相互依赖和组织文化在其中的调节作用。本项目在理论上可以丰富关于组织间信任的研究，即通过探讨信任在跨组织关系确立之前的形成机理，为组织间初始信任究竟何时产生以及如何产生的问题提供新视角；同时，本项目还可以丰富关于契约订立过程的研究，既明确其所需的核心能力（即契约制定能力）的构成维度和内涵，也揭示它对跨组织关系发展的重要作用。实践上，本项目有助于企业重新认识组织间初始信任的形成时间和形成机理，并明确契约制定过程和契约制定能力对推动组织间信任发展的重要作用。

Departing from the prevalent notion that trust is cultivated after repeated transactions, the project intends to explore whether trust can be engendered by continuously perceiving and interpreting a partner’s revealed contract design capability, preceding relationship formation. The project is first to conceptualize and operationalize the constituent dimensions of contract design capability, and then examine the various effects of the different dimensions of contract design capability on trust (i.e., competence- and goodwill trust), as well as the mediating roles of perceived commitment and perceived professionalism, and the moderating roles of interdependence and organizational culture. Theoretically, the project, by clarifying how trust can be generated in the pre-formation phase, will contribute fresh insights to the question of when and how initial trust emerges in interfirm relationships, thus enriching the trust literature. In addition, the project will expend the research on the pre-formation phase by clarifying the constituent dimensions of the core capability needed in this phase (i.e., contract design capability) and uncovering their significance in fueling trust development. Practically, this project will enrich managers’ knowledge on the generation of initial trust as well as the importance of the contracting process and contract design capability.