Organizational Trust in Times of Challenge: The Impact on Faculty and Administrators

Abstract

At a small private college, observations, document analysis, and interviews with faculty members and administrators were carried out to investigate how trust influences the relationship between the faculty and administration. Trust became an issue as the college underwent a difficult transition in presidential leadership, declining student enrollments, financial constraints, accreditation challenges, and a shift from the college's religious origins. Organizational trust was encouraged or discouraged by the participants' belief that others acted with faith and intentionality, their view of the campus as a safe place, demonstrations of expertise, participatory governance, and transparency. Trust was strengthened when constituents were invited to discuss problems, participate in decision making, give full and accurate information, and informed them of the rationale behind final decisions.

Whither Good Governance? Beyond the Current Malaise in Higher Education

“…The cultivation of trust through governance needs the inclusion in rationality and reasonableness that anyone and everyone is a leader for the institution. That we do not all lead in the same way is the minor point, compared to the valuation of all agents in the institution as change agents (Hoppes & Holley, 2013).…”

“…As Legon et al (2013) noted: … At its best, governance is a collaborative process … This collaboration requires mutual respect between boards, senior administrators, and faculty members, as well as an awareness on the part of each of the others' roles. (p. 25) Hoppes and Holley (2013) argued that participation, intentionality, absence of fear (of retaliation), and transparency are among the key factors in building organizational trust in higher education institutions. Though their work builds in a chicken-and-egg paradox (as in which comes first "trust" or "governance"), the broader theme is that collaboration in an open and inclusive system builds synergy, confidence, and respect among constituents.…”

“…Likewise, implementation of governance structures requires trust in the public and the publicly acknowledged responsibilities, powers, and limitations characterizing the work of university stakeholders. Hoppes and Holley (2013) also noted that more institutional trust reduced reliance on formal controls, boundary negotiations, such as grievance processes, and tended to reinforce mutually understood pathways for participation. Repeated, reliable interactions (that admit of improvement based upon perceived strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) avoid governance sliding into archaic silo-driven and robotic simulacra of genuine interactions.…”

The Degree of Application of The Academic Leaders in Jordanian Universities to The Concept of Trust in Achieving Integrity and Transparency from The Perspective of The Faculty Members

“…Most researchers have divided the dimensions of trust into three dimensions, namely trust in supervisors, in work colleagues, and in the institution management (Hoppes & Holley, 2014).…”

Valores e confiança organizacionais: fatores determinantes nos comportamentos de civismo organizacional

“…Por sua vez, essa relação amigável e de suporte promove a confi ança, empatia e uma intenção de reciprocidade entre os colegas de trabalho (Hoppes & Holley, 2014;Nienaber et al, 2014;Siqueira, 2001).…”