Abstract:this article addresses the problem of why subordinates trust their managers based on the responses from 108 subordinates of seven slovenian managers and from 138 subordinates of eight swedish managers. the subordinates of these managers responded to a 20-item instrument tested for reliability and validity. in both samples the managers enjoyed different degrees of trust. the level of trust vested in slovenian managers was higher than in swedish ones. the kinds of managers' actions that enhanced trust were simil… Show more
“…At the same time, the higher level of trust that Slovenian managers receive from the employees than their Scandinavian counterparts (Andersen and Kovač, 2012) could be connected to other aspects, not only socio-cultural ones.…”
Section: Figure 1: Denmark and Slovenia -Cultural Dimensionsmentioning
“…At the same time, the higher level of trust that Slovenian managers receive from the employees than their Scandinavian counterparts (Andersen and Kovač, 2012) could be connected to other aspects, not only socio-cultural ones.…”
Section: Figure 1: Denmark and Slovenia -Cultural Dimensionsmentioning
“…However, scholars are not unanimous on whether this assessment favors superior's decisions trustworthiness. According to Hurley (2006), roughly half of all managers in the USA don't trust their superiors, while Andersen & Kovač (2012) report different results in Europe. A contribution of this paper is the provision of additional data on trust between management levels.…”
Section: Introduction 1scope Of the Subjectmentioning
Background/Purpose: The study explores subordinate managers’ propensity to trust superiors’ decisions. Its purpose is twofold: first, to provide lower-level managers with a tool to know when and how to trust superiors’ decisions for a better organizational performance, and second, to lay the foundations for the development of a conceptual model of subordinate managers’ behavior.
Methods: The research philosophy adopts an inductive content analysis perspective. A mixed-methods research design is applied, using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data is collected through questionnaire, focus groups, interviews, and literature review. A total number of 219 managers from eight Bulgarian business organizations filled the questionnaire and 92 of them participated in group discussions and interviews.
Results: The majority of the managers surveyed tend to trust their immediate superiors. As a result of group discussions, the main advantages and disadvantages of managers with opposing attitudes toward trust are identified. A decision tree model of subordinate manager’s appropriate behaviors is proposed.
Conclusion: Inferior managers can have an active role in managing trust in their superiors’ decisions. Several situational factors, including superior’s competence and integrity, and organizational culture, determine the degree of trust that the subordinate manager should observe concerning the decisions and requests of the immediate superior.
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