The effects of technical and social conditions on workplace trust

Abstract

This paper investigates the extent to which the technical and social contexts of organizations independently affect levels of workplace trust. We argue that, in an organizational context, trust is not just a relationship between an individual subject (the truster) and an object (the trustee) but is subject to effects from the conditions of the work relationship itself.We describe the organizational context as comprising both a technical system of production (where work gets done through the specification of tasks) and a social system of work (where problems of effort, compliance, conformity and motivation are managed). We analyse the relationship between trust and these two aspects of workplace context (technical and social systems). We also operationalize this in terms of differences between industries, occupational composition and human resource management practices.The model is tested using data drawn from the 1995 Australian Workplace Industrial Relations Survey. The results confirm that differences in industry, occupational composition and HRM practices all impact on levels of workplace trust. We review these results in terms of their implications for future research into the problem of analysing variation in trust at both the workplace and individual levels.

Obstacles to Implementation of New Public Management in an Irish Hospital

“…Whilst there is a justification for the division of the hospital into manageable service units to secure and utilise resources more efficiently, these units then require ‘mechanisms for integration such as decision‐making groups, methods of communication and consultation’ and formal plans and procedures (Blunsdon and Reed, 2003, p. 14). It is this support element of the framework that is entirely absent two years after employing these business managers.…”

HRM and trust, or trust and HRM? An underdeveloped context for trust research

“…It has been referred to variously as generalized trust (Stack, 1978), trust propensity (Mayer et al, 1995) or disposition to trust (Kramer, 1999) and a sub-facet of the big five personality factors' agreeableness factor (Costa and McCrae, 1992). Importantly, the inclusion of a trust-related personality dimension adds another layer to our understanding, suggesting that disposition, rather than direct experience, informs our levels of trust (Blunsdon and Reed, 2003).…”

“…Employees are more trusting of employers who adhere to their own policies and punish those who deviate from their required norms and standards (Weibel et al, 2009). In this way features of the workplace and the interventions of managers shape perceptions of trust (Blunsdon and Reed, 2003). Taken together, HRM policies and their implementation graphically demonstrate the organization's competence, care and concern, integrity and respect for their employees and their interests; consequently they impact significantly on the development and maintenance of organizational trust.…”

“…Third, this context offers researchers insight into the critical interface between the organization's process and systems, and what Blunsdon and Reed (2003) refer to as the 'social system of work'; the more relational aspects in which the vulnerabilities and expectations of key stakeholders, including employees, managers, trade unions and HRM professionals, become salient. This makes it a fertile arena to explore the potential synergies and discrepancies in the trust levels of different stakeholders.…”

Trust, Employer Exposure and the Employment Relation

“…By contrast, we will provide some evidence on different levels of trust amongst men, women, ethic minorities and trade unionists. We will also provide further information on some of the matters examined by Blunsdon and Reed (2003) who used data from the 1995 Australian Workplace Industrial Relations Survey to investigate associations between trust and such variables as industrial sector, age and size of establishment. However, our particular objective is to shed light on the question of how employees" trust in their managers may be affected by their exposure to them -above all, about whether those with the longest service are more trusting.…”