Evolutionary Mechanism of Trust for Public–Private Partnership Projects with Public Participation

Trust plays a pivotal role in sustaining cooperative relationships and serves as the cornerstone of successful cooperation among participants in public–private partnership (PPP) projects. A decline in trust can result in unethical behavior, fractured relationships, and even project failure. Despite...

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Main Authors: Wenjuan Zhang, Yuanming Wang, Enzhong Li, Chengyi Zhang, Huimin Li, Srishti Hada
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Buildings
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/3/391
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author Wenjuan Zhang
Yuanming Wang
Enzhong Li
Chengyi Zhang
Huimin Li
Srishti Hada
author_facet Wenjuan Zhang
Yuanming Wang
Enzhong Li
Chengyi Zhang
Huimin Li
Srishti Hada
author_sort Wenjuan Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Trust plays a pivotal role in sustaining cooperative relationships and serves as the cornerstone of successful cooperation among participants in public–private partnership (PPP) projects. A decline in trust can result in unethical behavior, fractured relationships, and even project failure. Despite its critical importance, there is an insufficiency of research exploring the evolutionary dynamics of trust, particularly from the perspective of public participation. To address this, an evolutionary game model is constructed to analyze the evolution of behavioral strategies and identify their stable state from a dynamic perspective. The model examines the influence of trust levels and public participation on cooperation, revealing that trust asymmetry negatively impacts collaborative outcomes in PPP projects. There is an optimal trust level: trust positively influences cooperation up to a certain peak, beyond which excessive trust becomes detrimental and hinders cooperative outcomes. When trust levels are equal, the selection of behavioral strategies is influenced by the initial willingness of participants. A threshold exists for this initial willingness, above which cooperation is more likely to succeed. Additionally, public participation is found to significantly enhance cooperation. These conclusions advance the theoretical advancements of trust in PPP projects and offer valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in addressing trust-related challenges, thereby fostering sustainable collaboration.
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spelling doaj-art-3d7d418c460a4f61bbfd47443898c3d52025-08-20T02:48:02ZengMDPI AGBuildings2075-53092025-01-0115339110.3390/buildings15030391Evolutionary Mechanism of Trust for Public–Private Partnership Projects with Public ParticipationWenjuan Zhang0Yuanming Wang1Enzhong Li2Chengyi Zhang3Huimin Li4Srishti Hada5School of Management and Economics, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, ChinaHeilongjiang Province Water Resources Investment Group Co., Ltd., Harbin 150040, ChinaHeilongjiang Province Water Resources Investment Group Co., Ltd., Harbin 150040, ChinaDepartment of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USASchool of Water Conservancy, North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou 450046, ChinaDepartment of Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USATrust plays a pivotal role in sustaining cooperative relationships and serves as the cornerstone of successful cooperation among participants in public–private partnership (PPP) projects. A decline in trust can result in unethical behavior, fractured relationships, and even project failure. Despite its critical importance, there is an insufficiency of research exploring the evolutionary dynamics of trust, particularly from the perspective of public participation. To address this, an evolutionary game model is constructed to analyze the evolution of behavioral strategies and identify their stable state from a dynamic perspective. The model examines the influence of trust levels and public participation on cooperation, revealing that trust asymmetry negatively impacts collaborative outcomes in PPP projects. There is an optimal trust level: trust positively influences cooperation up to a certain peak, beyond which excessive trust becomes detrimental and hinders cooperative outcomes. When trust levels are equal, the selection of behavioral strategies is influenced by the initial willingness of participants. A threshold exists for this initial willingness, above which cooperation is more likely to succeed. Additionally, public participation is found to significantly enhance cooperation. These conclusions advance the theoretical advancements of trust in PPP projects and offer valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in addressing trust-related challenges, thereby fostering sustainable collaboration.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/3/391public–private partnership (PPP) projectstrustpublic participationevolutionary game
spellingShingle Wenjuan Zhang
Yuanming Wang
Enzhong Li
Chengyi Zhang
Huimin Li
Srishti Hada
Evolutionary Mechanism of Trust for Public–Private Partnership Projects with Public Participation
Buildings
public–private partnership (PPP) projects
trust
public participation
evolutionary game
title Evolutionary Mechanism of Trust for Public–Private Partnership Projects with Public Participation
title_full Evolutionary Mechanism of Trust for Public–Private Partnership Projects with Public Participation
title_fullStr Evolutionary Mechanism of Trust for Public–Private Partnership Projects with Public Participation
title_full_unstemmed Evolutionary Mechanism of Trust for Public–Private Partnership Projects with Public Participation
title_short Evolutionary Mechanism of Trust for Public–Private Partnership Projects with Public Participation
title_sort evolutionary mechanism of trust for public private partnership projects with public participation
topic public–private partnership (PPP) projects
trust
public participation
evolutionary game
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-5309/15/3/391
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AT chengyizhang evolutionarymechanismoftrustforpublicprivatepartnershipprojectswithpublicparticipation
AT huiminli evolutionarymechanismoftrustforpublicprivatepartnershipprojectswithpublicparticipation
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