Ana Cristina Costa

Work team trust and effectiveness

This article aims to explore the nature and functioning of trust in work teams. Trust is defined as a multi‐component variable with distinct but related dimensions. These include propensity to trust, perceived trustworthiness, co‐operative and lack of monitoring behaviours. A model was tested relating trust with perceived task performance, team satisfaction, and two dimensions of organisational commitment, i.e. attitudinal and continuance. Survey data from 112 teams(n=395) was collected in three social care institutions in The Netherlands. The results are supportive of a multi‐component structure for trust and of its importance to the functioning of teams and organisations. Work team trust appeared strongly related with team members attitudes towards the organisation. Trust between team members was positively associated with attitudinal commitment and negatively with continuance commitment. Trust was also positively related with perceived task performance and with team satisfaction. In addition, perceived task performance appeared strongly related to team satisfaction.

Trust within teams: The relation with performance effectiveness

The acknowledgement that trust is important for the functioning of organizations has increased the demand for research showing how this importance is reflected on the behaviour of its members. In this article we focus on trust within teams and explore the relation with performance effectiveness. A model was tested relating trust with perceived task performance, team satisfaction, relationship commitment, and stress. In this model trust is presented as a multi-component variable with distinct but related dimensions. These include propensity to trust, perceived trustworthiness, cooperative and monitoring behaviours. Data from 112 teams collected in three social care institutions in The Netherlands were analysed with structural equation modelling to test the model. The results are supportive of the multi-component structure of trust and confirmed the importance of trust for the functioning of teams in organizations. The results suggest that trust is positively related with perceived task performance, team satisfaction, and relationship commitment, and negatively related with stress. In addition, perceived task performance was positively related with team satisfaction.

Understanding the Trust-Control Nexus

This article aims at contributing to the understanding of the trust-control nexus. The objective is to bring the discussion around the relationship between both concepts a step further by identifying common foundations, distinctive mechanisms and key implications relevant for theory-building and empirical research on trust and control. First, the concept of trust and related concepts are introduced. Second, the developments related to the diminished effectiveness of control and a growing importance of trust in both intra- and inter-organizational relations are discussed. Finally, the state of the art regarding the trust-control nexus and a brief summary of the four articles included in this special issue are provided.

Trust and control interrelations: New perspectives on the trust control nexus

This article introduces the special issue on New Perspectives on the Trust-Control Nexus in Organizational Relations. Trust and control are interlinked processes commonly seen as key to reach effectiveness in inter- and intraorganizational relations. The relation between trust and control is, however, a complex one, and research into this relation has given rise to various and contradictory interpretations of how trust and control relate. A well-known discussion is directed at whether trust and control are better conceived as substitutes, or as complementary mechanisms of governance. The articles in this special issue bring the discussion on the relationship between both concepts a step further by identifying common factors, distinctive mechanisms, and key implications relevant for theory building and empirical research. By studying trust and control through different perspectives and at different levels of analysis, the articles provide new theoretical insights and empirical evidence on the foundations of the trust-control interrelations.

Trust and Control Interrelations

This article introduces the special issue on New Perspectives on the Trust-Control Nexus in Organizational Relations. Trust and control are interlinked processes commonly seen as key to reach effectiveness in inter- and intraorganizational relations. The relation between trust and control is, however, a complex one, and research into this relation has given rise to various and contradictory interpretations of how trust and control relate. A well-known discussion is directed at whether trust and control are better conceived as substitutes, or as complementary mechanisms of governance. The articles in this special issue bring the discussion on the relationship between both concepts a step further by identifying common factors, distinctive mechanisms, and key implications relevant for theory building and empirical research. By studying trust and control through different perspectives and at different levels of analysis, the articles provide new theoretical insights and empirical evidence on the foundations of the trust-control interrelations.

Measuring trust in teams: Development and validation of a multifaceted measure of formative and reflective indicators of team trust

This article describes the development and validation of a multidimensional instrument designed to measure trust within teams. Trust is conceptualized as a latent variable resulting from distinct but related (formative) indicators, i.e., propensity to trust and perceived trustworthiness, which lead to (reflective) indicators, i.e., behaviours cooperation and monitoring between team members. The instrument was tested in two different samples. The first sample included 98 hospital professionals (14 teams) and provided data for the exploratory factor analysis of this instrument (Study 1). The second sample included responses from 112 teams (395 individuals) from three social-care institutions and was used to apply confirmatory factor analysis (Study 2). Data attesting to the underlying factor structure, internal homogeneity, construct validity, and consensual power of agreement within teams and discriminant power across teams of the instrument are presented. The final 21-item, four-factor version of this measure demonstrates good psychometric properties, with acceptable levels of reliability and validity. We conclude that the scales form a parsimonious, valid, and efficient instrument to assess trust in teams. Potential applications of this measure in research and practice are described and the implications of these findings for future research are discussed.

Trust in Organizations

Trust is central to human life and is considered to be essential for stable relationships, fundamental for maintaining cooperation, vital to any exchange, and necessary for even the most routine of everyday interaction. In organizations the importance of trust has been recognized at both interpersonal and institutional levels. Two types of trust can be distinguished: interpersonal trust , which refers to trust between people, and system or institutional trust , which refers trust in the functioning of organizational, institutional and social systems.

Measuring HRM and organisational performance: concepts, issues, and framework

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the HRM and organisational performance (OP) nexus by drawing attention to the complex interplay of internal and external factors affecting OP, and to further provide an integrated framework for the testing of this nexus.Design/methodology/approach – Relevant literature is reviewed and assessed critically. A theoretical framework is provided with the objective to measure the HRM‐OP nexus.Findings – Whilst the majority of the extant literature on HRM has focused mainly on internal factors, the authors suggest that the domain of the internal factors considered thus far needs to be widened and external factors need to be acknowledged explicitly. They provide a schematic model portraying the intricate nature of internal and external factors. They subsequently provide an integrated framework of factors in order to measure HRM practices effects on OP.Research limitations/implications – The suggested framework is theoretical pending emp...

The role of social capital on trust development and dynamics: implications for cooperation, monitoring and team performance

This study examined the development and dynamics of trust in project teams and explored the relation with cooperation, monitoring and team performance. Two types of teams were distinguished at the start of the projects: low prior social-capital teams (teams composed of members that have no previous history in working together and are not acquainted or friends with one another); high prior social-capital teams (teams composed of members that have worked together previously, are acquainted or friends with each other). A longitudinal approach provided an opportunity to study trust dynamics in the course of the projects. Data from 79 project-research teams (315 masters students) was collected longitudinally, with measurement moments at the beginning, middle and end of the project. Independent team performance ratings were obtained for each team. Significant differences were found in relation to trust-building between high and low prior social-capital teams. High prior social-capital teams reported systematically higher levels of trust than low prior social-capital teams throughout the project. These differences had implications for the level of monitoring, cooperation and team performance. Cette étude examine le développement et la dynamique de la confiance au sein déquipes de projets et explore les relations entre la coopération, le monitoring et la performance des équipes. On a distingué, en tout début de projet, deux types déquipes: celles à faible capital social de départ — cest-à-dire des équipes composées de membres nayant aucun passé commun de collaboration, ne se connaissant pas, et nayant aucun lien damitié; et celles à capital social de départ élevé — cest-à-dire des équipes composées de membres ayant travaillé ensemble auparavant, se connaissant, ou encore, ayant des liens damitié. Une étude longitudinale a permis détudier la dynamique de la confiance tout au long des projets. Les données provenant de 79 équipes de recherche (315 étudiants de Master) ont été collectées longitudinalement et des mesures ont été effectuées en début, milieu et fin de projets. On a ensuite procédé au classement des équipes en fonction de leurs performances. Des différences significatives quant à la construction de la confiance ont été relevées entre équipes à faible capital social de départ et équipes à capital social de départ élevé. Tout au long du projet, on a relevé un niveau de confiance systématiquement supérieur pour les équipes à capital social de départ élevé. Les différences constatées ont eu des implications au niveau du monitoring, de la coopération et de la performance des équipes.

Applicant Perspectives During Selection: A Review Addressing “So What?,” “What’s New?,” and “Where to Next?”:

We provide a comprehensive but critical review of research on applicant reactions to selection procedures published since 2000 (n = 145), when the last major review article on applicant reactions appeared in the Journal of Management. We start by addressing the main criticisms levied against the field to determine whether applicant reactions matter to individuals and employers (“So what?”). This is followed by a consideration of “What’s new?” by conducting a comprehensive and detailed review of applicant reaction research centered upon four areas of growth: expansion of the theoretical lens, incorporation of new technology in the selection arena, internationalization of applicant reactions research, and emerging boundary conditions. Our final section focuses on “Where to next?” and offers an updated and integrated conceptual model of applicant reactions, four key challenges, and eight specific future research questions. Our conclusion is that the field demonstrates stronger research designs, with studies incorporating greater control, broader constructs, and multiple time points. There is also solid evidence that applicant reactions have significant and meaningful effects on attitudes, intentions, and behaviors. At the same time, we identify some remaining gaps in the literature and a number of critical questions that remain to be explored, particularly in light of technological and societal changes.