F.E. Six

Creating a High-Trust Organization: An Exploration into Organizational Policies that Stimulate Interpersonal Trust Building

We examine empirically how an organization that deliberately enhances interpersonal trust to become a significant organizational phenomenon, is different from a similar organization without explicit trust enhancement policies. The point of departure is relational signalling theory, which says that trust is a function of consistently giving off signals that indicate credible concern, to potential trustors. A matched pair of two consulting organizations, with different trust policies but otherwise similar characteristics, were studied intensively, using survey research, participant observation and half-open interviewing, focused on the generation of trust and the handling of trouble when trust was threatened or destroyed. A higher stage of trust can be reached by an inter-related set of policies: promoting a relationship-oriented culture, facilitation of unambiguous signalling, consistent induction training, creating opportunities for meeting informally, and the day-to-day management of competencies. Such policies are in principle independent of recognized contextual contingencies. Copyright (c) Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2008.

Actions that Build Interpersonal Trust: A Relational Signalling Perspective

Abstract A priority in trust research is to deepen our understanding of trust processes: how does trust develop and break down? This requires further understanding of what actions have what effects on trust in interpersonal interactions. The literature offers a range of actions that have effects on trust, but gives little explanation of why they do so, and how the actions “hang together” in their effects on trust. The question is what different classes of trust building actions there may be. Using a “relational signalling” perspective, we propose hypotheses for classes of action that trigger the attribution of mental frames (by the trustor to the trustee), and trigger the adoption of those frames by the trustor. A survey-based empirical test of trust building actions among 449 managers in 14 European countries confirms the hypotheses.

Trust and Distrust as Distinct Concepts: Why Studying Distrust in Institutions is Important

Abstract Scholarship of trust in institutions has tended to see trust and distrust as opposites on one continuum. Theoretical advances have challenged this view and now consider trust and distrust as different constructs, and thus as constructs with different characteristics and partly different determinants. Current empirical research on trust in government has so far done little to incorporate these findings, and has largely continued to rely on traditional survey items assuming a trust–distrust continuum. We rely on the literature in organization studies and political science to argue in favour of measuring citizen trust and distrust as distinct concepts and discuss future research challenges.

LOCAL INTEGRITY SYSTEMS Towards a framework for comparative analysis and assessment

A local integrity system encompasses all the policies, practices, and integrity institutions that are meant to contribute to the rectitude of a local government. Little research has been carried out on such systems, as compared to national integrity systems, even though the performance of municipalities in terms of good governance is important for how citizens perceive government more generally. This article proposes a framework, developed inductively from a study of seven cities around the world, that may be used in research and policy evaluation. It concludes with an agenda for further investigation, theory, and policy development.

Towards a theory of integrity systems: a configurational approach

The integrity of public officials is considered a key determinant of public trust in government and a central concept in good governance. An integrity system consists of all components, such as policies, practices, institutions and integrity guardians meant to contribute to the integrity of the organization at the heart of the integrity system. In this article we propose a theoretical model for the effectiveness of integrity systems that can be tested empirically. Six conditions are proposed as important for delivering the outcome of high integrity performance. Different configurations are expected to deliver the same outcome, because of varying developmental trajectories. Implications for further research are discussed. Points for practitioners Many countries have in place measures for dealing with corruption and unethical behaviour on the part of public officials. Rarely are these measures considered as part of a whole system. At the same time, there is little research evidence for the effectiveness of individual measures or the system as a whole. This article addresses these issues and is, therefore, important for policy makers who are developing anti-corruption measures.

Managing trust and trouble in interpersonal work relationships: evidence from two Dutch organisations

Within this article our focus is on the nature of the interactions that occur in the context of dyadic trust relationships, noting the factors which may adversely affect judgements about the trustworthiness of the other individual in a relationship, particularly in periods of trouble. What happens when trouble occurs is of central concern in the context of relationship maintenance and repair and (unnecessary) damage to the relationship can be avoided if trouble is dealt with effectively. Using illustrations from two Dutch organizations we examine what happened at the critical moments when trouble occurred in a work relationship and explore what determined the impact of that event on the level of trust in the relationship. The findings highlight the importance of clear and explicit expectations, the use of constructive voice and positive interaction by both individuals.

Conceptualizing integrity systems in government and banking

Integrity systems have been developed to safeguard the ethical performance of public officials. Protecting the ethical performance of bank professionals is also in the public interest. In order to avoid integrity risks of the kind that directly contributed to the 2008 global credit and economic crisis, three risks that occur in retail banking are studied in Dutch banks. Results show that bank integrity systems are conceptually similar to government systems and that the effectiveness of systems varies by risk. This study strengthens the overall conceptualization of integrity systems.

Trust in regulatory regimes

Within political and administrative sciences generally, trust as a concept is contested, especially in the field of regulatory governance. This groundbreaking book is the first to systematically explore the role and dynamics of trust within regulatory regimes. Conceptualizing, mapping and analyzing trust between regulators, regulatees and citizens, expert contributors systematically review the existing empirical research on the role of trust within these relations. Further chapters offer new empirical material, with in-depth case studies covering different regulatory relations, regulatory issues and geographical areas. After scoping the field of inquiry and significantly adding to it, the book concludes with a proposal for a challenging and encompassing agenda for future research on trust in regulatory governance. Comprehensive and forward thinking, this book will be of interest to academics working in the fields of regulation, sociology, law, political science, public administration and trust. It will also offer a compelling read for practitioners working in the field of regulation.

Trust in regulatory regimes: scoping the field

This edited volume is the first endeavour to systematically investigate the role of trust in the different relations within regulatory regimes. Trust as a multifaceted concept is contested within public administration and political science in general and especially within the relation between regulator and regulated party. The aim of this book is to scope the field and to set the agenda for further research. In this introductory chapter we map the different relations within regulatory regimes and review empirical research into the role of trust within the different relations. Our literature review reveals several themes that we address either in the different empirical chapters or in the research agenda formulated in the concluding chapter.

Agenda for future research into the role of trust in regulatory regimes

In this concluding chapter we formulate a research agenda for trust in regulatory regimes, based on the insights gained from the chapters in this edited volume. This agenda follows the five themes identified in the introductory chapter: 1) there are outstanding issues for most trust relations within regulatory regimes that need further research; 2) the interactional dynamics between the different trust relationships within regulatory regimes need more systematic research; 3) the dynamics of processes of trust building and repair within regulatory relationships are understudied; 4) there are still unresolved conceptual issues around trust and related concepts that need further study; and 5) the field is ready to move to more theory building and hypothesis testing research.