Investigating follower felt trust from a social cognitive perspective

Abstract

through which followers' felt trust influences their in-role and extra-role performance. Based on social cognitive theory, we proposed that occupational self-efficacy (OSE) mediates the felt trust-performance relationship in workplace settings, and tested these relationships in two empirical studies. Study 1 was a cross-sectional pre-study (N = 189) investigating only the mediating effects of OSE. For the main study, i.e., Study 2 (N = 500), we collected data at three different measurement occasions to minimize response bias. Study 2 investigated the mediation of the felt trust-performance relationship not only by OSE, but also by an additional mediator variable (organization-based self-esteem) that had been identified in previous studies, in order to determine whether the OSE effects remained significant. In both studies, structural equation modelling results supported the proposed mediating effects of OSE on the three performance outcomes for the reliance component of felt trust, but not for the disclosure component of felt trust.

The relationship between two dimensions of felt trust and promotive voice behaviour: the motivational mechanisms

“…Specifically, leaders' reliance on employees at work is based on positive judgements about employees' abilities and skills (Gillespie, 2003). Zheng et al (2019) also found that felt reliance was positively related to self-perceived competence. In addition, employees who are relied upon may obtain job autonomy because leaders will assign important tasks to them and allow them more control and decision latitude (Brower et al, 2009;Skiba and Wildman, 2019).…”

“…Although felt trust was positively related to in-role and extra-role performance (Zheng et al, 2019), whether and how it affects voice behaviour remains underexplored, and little is known about the two dimensions of felt trust. In addressing these questions, we propose and test a mediation model that felt trust (felt reliance and felt disclosure) positively affects voice behaviour through felt obligation and intrinsic motivation.…”

“…Research is generally consistent in suggesting that felt trust is related to positive work outcomes such as job satisfaction and performance (Gill et al, 2019;Lau et al, 2014). However, most of the previous studies have treated felt trust as unidimensional, with only a few distinguishing two dimensions of felt trust, namely, felt reliance and felt disclosure (Lau et al, 2014;Zheng et al, 2019). Felt reliance, which reflects employees' perception of leaders' reliance on their workrelated decisions and actions, is professionally based while felt disclosure, which reflects employees' perception of leaders' disclosure of personal or sensitive information, is relationally based (Gillespie, 2003;Lau et al, 2014).…”

“…Felt reliance, which reflects employees' perception of leaders' reliance on their workrelated decisions and actions, is professionally based while felt disclosure, which reflects employees' perception of leaders' disclosure of personal or sensitive information, is relationally based (Gillespie, 2003;Lau et al, 2014). To date, only a handful of studies have empirically examined the individual effects of felt reliance and felt disclosure on performance, and only the role of felt reliance received support (Lau et al, 2014;Zheng et al, 2019). More effort is needed to consider how these two dimensions of felt trust might affect employees' Felt trust and promotive voice behaviour 593 behaviour differently.…”

“…By contrast, felt trust research has focussed on how perceptions of being trusted affect employees' behaviours from the trustee perspective. Although felt trust has received far less attention than trust, it nevertheless has the potential to generate unique enhancements in employees' performance (Zheng et al, 2019). Given the relevance and uniqueness of trust and felt trust, considering felt trust enables a more comprehensive investigation of the trust-outcome relationship in organizations.…”