信任格局视角下普遍信任和特殊信任对个体创业的影响研究——兼论地区信任模式的作用

黄实磊　吴翌琳

（中国人民大学统计学院）

　　内容提要：本文立足于社会转型和信任结构变迁的现实背景，从信任格局视角研究个体普遍信任和特殊信任对个体创业的影响。利用中国综合社会调查数据，研究发现：（1）总体来说，个体普遍信任对个体创业存在正向作用，特殊信任没有正向作用。（2）当个体面临的地区信任模式为受限制信任模式时，个体普遍信任的正向作用受到抑制，特殊信任表现出正向作用。（3）在市场化程度低的地区，个体特殊信任表现出正向作用；而在市场化程度高的地区，个体普遍信任的正向作用得以体现，特殊信任呈现负向作用。（4）机制检验显示，个体普遍信任能够增加个体风险承担意愿，增进“圈子外”信息交流和资源获取，帮助个体应对交易复杂性；个体特殊信任有助于获取“圈子内”信息和资源，但会挤出“圈子外”交流、减少风险承担行为。本文研究结论对于推动中国创业发展提供了有益参考。

　　

　　关键词：信任格局；普遍信任；特殊信任；地区信任模式；创业

　　

　　作者简介：黄实磊，中国人民大学统计学院博士研究生，北京，100872；吴翌琳，中国人民大学统计学院教授、博士生导师，通信作者。

　　基金项目：教育部人文社会科学重点研究基地重大项目“数字经济驱动高质量发展的统计测度与分析研究”（22JJD910002）

　　引用格式：黄实磊,吴翌琳.信任格局视角下普遍信任和特殊信任对个体创业的影响研究——兼论地区信任模式的作用[J].经济与管理研究,2023,44(11):104-124.DOI:10.13502/j.cnki.issn1000-7636.2023.11.006.

　　

　　

General Trust, Particular Trust, and Entrepreneurship from Trust Structure Perspective

—Role of Regional Trust Pattern

HUANG Shilei, WU Yilin

(Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872)

　　

　　Abstract: Entrepreneurship is regarded as a fundamental determinant of economic development. This paper examines the impact of informal institutional and social factors on entrepreneurship with an emphasis on the significance of trust.

　　The two forms of trust are particular trust and general trust. The former relies on kinship, geographical relationships, or other close interpersonal interactions (“inside the circle”). In contrast, the latter does not rely on individual connections and refers to the trust in others or strangers (“outside the circle”). As social transformation and trust structure shift in China, this paper aims to explore the economic impact of general trust and particular trust on entrepreneurship from the trust structure perspective. Specifically, based on the embeddedness of trust, it examines how the impact varies according to the regional trust pattern. Using data from the Chinese General Social Survey, this paper analyzes the impact and internal mechanisms of general trust and particular trust on entrepreneurship.

　　The findings are as follows. First, general trust instead of particular trust has a significant positive effect on entrepreneurship. Second, the effect of general trust and particular trust varies with the regional trust pattern. When the individual is in a limited regional trust pattern dominated by particular trust, the positive effect of general trust will be inhibited, and particular trust shows a positive effect. Third, marketization is a vital contextual factor that influences the role of general trust and particular trust. In regions with lower levels of marketization, particular trust has a positive effect. However, as marketization deepens, general trust will have a positive effect, and particular trust becomes a constraint. Fourth, the mechanism analysis reveals that general trust increases individuals’ risk-taking willingness, enhances information exchange and resource acquisition “outside of the circle” and helps them deal with transaction complexity. However, particular trust helps to obtain information and resources “inside the circle” but crowds out communication “outside the circle” and reduces risk-taking behavior.

　　The marginal contributions lie in four aspects. First, it enriches the research framework on trust and entrepreneurship by investigating the heterogeneity of general trust and particular trust in entrepreneurship from the trust structure perspective. Second, it examines how the regional trust pattern affects the effects of general trust and particular trust on entrepreneurship based on the embeddedness of trust, offering a new perspective. Third, it extends the examination of the impact of general trust and particular trust change with marketization, improving the understanding of the role of trust in a transition economy. Fourth, it identifies the internal mechanisms linking general trust and particular trust with entrepreneurship, deepening the explanation of the relationship between trust and entrepreneurship.

　　Keywords: trust structure; general trust; particular trust; regional trust pattern; entrepreneurship