Trust, Burroughs Wellcome & Co. and the foundation of a modern pharmaceutical industry in Britain, 1880–1914

The literature relating to networks and organizational culture has acknowledged trust to be a valuable intangible asset. This article reviews the theoretical literature and the limited empirical research on trust in relation to business organizations and activity. Within this framework, the early history of Burroughs Wellcome & Co. reveals the importance of trust in building a cohesive organization and in establishing a reputation with the medical profession and with the trade. The study shows the construction of trust to have been an essential dimension in the company's growth to become the leading pharmaceutical manufacturer in Britain by 1914.