Antecedents of trust in managers: a “bottom up” approach

Abstract

Research on antecedents of trust has, so far, yielded results that do not easily stand up to confrontation with the widely‐held assumption of bounded rationality. By employing complex constructs as indicators of antecedents, it is implied that actors, in pondering on trust in managers, can deal with many complex cues, instead of a few single ones, as bounded rationality suggests. This study proposes a different approach, by searching for a parsimonious set of managerial behaviours that serve as cues for subordinates regarding trust in managers. Interview and survey data were combined in this search. Regression analysis and a Boolean pattern analysis were used to arrive at a parsimonious model with high explanatory power.

Does participative leadership enhance work performance by inducing empowerment or trust? The differential effects on managerial and non‐managerial subordinates

“…The extent to which subordinates are willing to be susceptible to the actions of their superiors is dependent on how their superiors behave. Participative leadership behavior could make employees feel that their superiors treat them with fairness (e.g., Jung & Avolio, 2000;Pillai et al, 1999), consideration (Dirks & Ferrin, 2002), respect and dignity (Bijlsma & van de Bunt, 2003), which are conducive to a high level of trust in supervisor.…”

“…In contrast, superiors of lower level employees should pay more attention to the relational aspects of participative management. This can be achieved by not only involving the lower level employees in decision making but also by being open to their opinions and suggestions, by giving them more guidance and social support, and by showing respect and concern when interacting with them (e.g., Bijlsma & van de Bunt, 2003;Dirks & Ferrin, 2002).…”

Why European Subordinates Trust their Managers

“…Dirks (2000) has also studied how trust can be built through the actions of the managers. Biljsma and van de Bunt (2003) have found four managerial actions which generate trust amongst subordinates.…”

“…This study provides empirical support to Whitener et al (1998), who suggest that managers who engage in these behaviours will increase the likelihood that their employees will trust them. Biljsma and van de Bunt (2003) have identified five managerial actions that elicit trust in managers by subordinates:…”

Trust your company: A multimethod approach based on the Hero model

“…This means that, if people trust others, they seek interaction with them, tend to like what they like and see what they see, and share definitions of relevance, thus furthering integration between them (Bijlsma & van de Bunt, 2003). Furthermore, horizontal trust is related to important outcomes such as turnover intention (Ferres et al, 2004), and organizational commitment ).…”