THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUST IN MANAGER-EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIPS

Transcription

1 224 International Journal of Electronic Business Management, Vol. 10, No. 3, pp (2012) THE IMPORTANCE OF TRUST IN MANAGER-EMPLOYEE RELATIONSHIPS Katarzyna Krot 1* and Dagmara Lewicka 2 1 Management Department Bialystok University of Technology Białystok (15-089), Poland 2 Management Faculty AGH University of Science and Technology Krakow (30-059), Poland ABSTRACT Trust is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon. Organizational trust is an important part of professional relationships between co-workers, between managers and employees, or between employees and managers. Trust can be either interpersonal or institutional in nature. To measure, understand, and explain trust in an organizational context, it is important to identify different dimensions of trust (competence, benevolence, and integrity), different types of trust (horizontal trust between co-workers, vertical trust between managers and employees, and vertical trust between employees and managers), and the roles that different dimensions of trust have in different types of trust. The aim of this paper is to determine the roles that the different dimensions of trust have in each of the different types of trust at Gaia, a Polish lingerie company. Study results show competence is the least important dimension of trust in all of the different types of trust at Gaia, the Polish lingerie company. Integrity is the most important dimension of trust in relationships between co-workers. Benevolence is the most important dimension of trust in relationships between employees and managers. Keywords: Horizontal Trust, Vertical Trust, Dimensions of Trust, Poland * 1. INTRODUCTION Recent research studies on trust use crossdisciplinary approaches to explore the multiple dimensions of trust. Trust can resolve risk issues between individuals, because trust is an attitude that promotes risk-taking. Trust is important in business environments because reinforces and strengthens intra-organizational and inter-organizational relationships [30]. Recent research studies highlight the importance of trust for individual well-being in business environments. Trust is key element of effective communication and team-work between co-workers, between managers and employees, and between employees and managers. Trust reduces risk and operating costs. Trust increases employee commitment and productivity. In spite of the great interest in trust, many research questions have still not been investigated. Previous research studies have focused on the causes and consequences of trust and overall assessments of trust [6]. However, Colquitt et al. [8] showed that, as * Corresponding author: katarzynakrot@gmail.com work relationships mature, trust becomes differentiated. Colquitt et al. [8] showed that different, types of trust can be distinguished from each other. However, they also showed that it is important to understand the roles that different dimensions of trust have in different types of trust. In other words, it is important to understand what co-workers, managers, or employees expect each other to do. The research question is vitally important not only because it is related to a fundamental gap in theoretical understanding, but because it is also related to practical working relationships in business environments. Intra-organizational and inter- organizational relationships are based upon the different types and dimensions of trust. The aim of this paper is to determine the roles that the different dimensions of trust have in each of the different types of trust at Gaia, a Polish lingerie company. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Trust Trust is the willingness of one party to be vulnerable to the actions of another party. Tzafrir and Eitam-Meilik [33] showed that trust is willingness to

2 K. Krot and D. Lewicka: The Importance of Trust in Manager-Employee Relationships 225 increase the resources invested in another party, based on positive expectations resulting from past positive mutual interactions. Trust is a conviction by both parties to never act in a way that brings detriment to the other party or to take advantage of their weaknesses [26]. Trust is the decision to rely on another party in a risk condition [11]. Trust is the consequence or positive impressions from mutual interactions [6]. Trust is the expectation and faith that two parties will act to secure mutual benefit. Trust is established by mutually beneficial behavior in the past. Trust and cooperation are enhanced by meeting expectations of mutually beneficial behavior in the present [4]. On the other hand, trust is limited by uncertainty between two parties about motives, intentions, and actions [15]. Trust is primarily interpersonal. However, in business environments, there is also a global element of trust; trust is a global evaluation of the organization s trustworthiness as perceived by the employees (the trustors). The employees belief that the organization will act in a way that is beneficial, or at least not detrimental, to them is also important [32]. McElroy [25] showed that trust creates added value in an organization; trust enhances information flow and knowledge creation. Trust enhances relationships, interaction, and cooperation [10]. 2.2 Different Types of Trust Trust is important in different types of relationships. Trust can be horizontal (between co-workers), vertical (between managers and employees or between employees and managers), or institutional (between employees and organizations) [22]. Institutional trust is the trust that employees have in organization procedures, technologies, management, goals, visions, competence, and justice [14]. Horizontal, vertical, and institutional trust are different types of trust. Vertical trust is generally more complex than horizontal trust. Employees feel vulnerable because managers have substantial influence over resource allocation. As a result, managers are in a position to make decisions that have a considerable impact on employees. For instance, employees must rely on their managers for work assignments, performance evaluations, and promotions [20,37]. Previous research studies showed that trust has a positive affect on employee-manager relationships. Wang and Clegg [35] showed that level of vertical trust affects employee actions in decision making [1]. Aboyassin [1] showed that trust reduces operational expenses, improves relationships between managers and employees, and simplifies intra-organizational relationships [1]. As a result, it is important to understand vertical trust and the behaviors that managers can use to create vertical trust. It is also important to understand horizontal trust and the behaviors that employees can use to create horizontal trust. Horizontal trust is the willingness of a worker to be vulnerable to the actions of co-workers, whose behavior and actions they cannot control [23]. Trends in the modern workplace, such as decentralization and work teams, require more interaction, cooperation, and information transfer between co-workers [16]. As a result, the new working conditions require more horizontal trust between co-workers. Horizontal trust is also needed for knowledge acquisition and dissemination processes [22]. Previous studies were primarily concerned with vertical trust between employees and managers, less concerned with horizontal trust between co-workers, and rarely concerned with trust between managers and employees [37]. Previous studies showed that employees feel vulnerable because they must rely on their managers for work assignments, performance evaluations, and promotions [20,37]. Recent studies also showed that managers feel vulnerable because they must rely on their employees to complete work tasks [13,23]. Managers share responsibility for incomplete work tasks. Incomplete work tasks affect the managers performance evaluations, pay, and reputations [20,28]. As a result, managers must trust employees enough to assign work tasks to them. Recent studies also showed that vertical trust is related to acceptance of influence, absence of monitoring, belief in positive motives, mutual learning [17], and positive outcomes, such as high levels of cooperation and performance [26]. Recent studies showed that, in general, vertical trust improves organizational processes. 2.2 Different Dimensions of Trust Trust is complex and multidimensional concept. To measure, understand, and explain trust, it is important to identify the dimensions of trust. Svensson [30] showed that trust has several dimensions. Previous studies showed that trust has three primary dimensions: integrity, benevolence, and competence [12,14,26,28]. If a trustor believes that a trustee is honest, benevolent, and competent (able to fulfill their promises and obligations), the trustor is likely to trust the trustee [27]. In interactions between co-workers or between managers and employees benevolence is mutual help, sometimes beyond what is prescribed by formal agreements [3,23]. Benevolence is extraordinary behavior that enhances the trustor s wellbeing. Benevolence is a willingness to take into consideration the trustor s interests in a decision-making process. Benevolence is a willingness to act with consideration and sensitivity to the trustor s needs and interests [2]. Benevolence is also a willingness and desire to do favors for other members of the organization. Benevolent behaviors are expressions of altruism, care

3 226 International Journal of Electronic Business Management, Vol. 10, No. 3 (2012) and concern for others, that goes beyond profit motives or future gains [18] Competence is an important dimension of trust in organizational relationships. Biswas and Varma [5] showed that basic competence is a level of performance that fulfills the formal requirements of an employee s job. Higher-level competence is a level of performance, which is independently undertaken, that goes beyond the formal requirements of an employee s job. Recent studies showed that competence is a key factor in building trust [5,24]. Trust that is based upon competence can be built relatively quickly, because it is not based upon emotional interactions [19]. Integrity is the extent to which the trustee s actions reflect values that are acceptable to the trustor [28]. Integrity is established by following a set of rules and ethical standards of conduct. The trustor must also consider the rules and ethical standards of conduct acceptable. Employees are more likely to develop good working relationships with managers who display values and attitudes that are similar to the values and attitudes of the employees [27]. Previous meta-analytic research studies showed that competence, benevolence, and integrity can be used to predict different types of trust [9,20]. Colquitt et al. [9] showed that integrity is a particularly important antecedent of vertical (employee-manager) trust. Previous qualitative critical incident studies showed that employees mentioned benevolence and integrity incidents more often than competence incidents when describing trust in their managers [20,21]. Employees that are treated fairly, with respect and dignity, perceive their managers as benevolent and, therefore, reliable or trustworthy [20]. Wasti et al. [36] showed that culture affects the dimensions of horizontal trust. Chinese employees reported that competence, benevolence, and integrity were important characteristics for co-workers; Turkish employees only reported that benevolence was an important characteristic for co-workers. Wasti et al. [36] concluded that the differences might have been due to differences in the levels of interaction in the groups of employees. Tan and Lim [31] used the model by Mayer et al. [23] to show that perceptions of benevolence and integrity were related to horizontal trust between co-workers, while perceptions of competence were not related to horizontal trust between co-workers. McAllister [24] showed that there co-worker competence was not related to horizontal co-worker trust. The studies showed that perceived benevolence and integrity may play a more important role in predicting horizontal trust than perceived competence [20]. Previous studies were rarely concerned with vertical trust between managers and employees. However, managers rely on employees to complete work tasks. Employee competence is an important element of a manager s evaluation of an employee s performance. As a result, competence is important for establishing vertical trust between managers and employees. Schoorman et al. [28] showed that the extent to which managers delegate responsibilities to employees depends upon competence more than from the other dimensions of trust. Wells and Kipnis [37] also showed that competence is the most important antecedent of vertical trust between managers and employees. 3. METHODOLOGY 3.1 The Company The study was conducted at Gaia, a lingerie company in Białystok. Białystok is a city in the Podlaskie Voivodeship province of northeast Poland. Lingerie production in the Podlaskie Voivodeship province dates back to the 1950s. At that time, lingerie was manufactured by a cooperative of about 5,000 workers. Gaia was founded in At that time, some of the cooperative workers started the company, to test their prowess in the new laissez-faire economy. The company manufactures high quality women's lingerie for middle-to-low and middle-to-high market segments. The company cooperates with Polish retailers. The firm also exports lingerie to Europe (the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Russia, the Ukraine, Denmark, Finland and Greece), Asia, and the US [38]. Frequent changes in fashion make it imperative for the firm to maintain a market-oriented attitude. Gaia specializes in plus-size lingerie. The plus-size market segment has been neglected because the customer group is fairly difficult to satisfy. As a result, the company must update its products by introducing new designs and using modern technologies. For example, the company launched a silver collection, which uses fabrics that contain silver ions embedded in a polymer fibre. The new fabric provides antibacterial protection (Trevira Bioactive technology). Gaia has an ISO quality certification, as well as other certification, which demonstrate the company s integrity and financial responsibility. The company employs 120 workers. The vast majority of the workers are women. They work as designers, tailors, corset-makers, sewing technologists, and sewing machine operators. However, a shortage of skilled workers, particularly in the peripheral regions of Poland, is hampering the growth of the company. In the Podlaskie Voivodeship province, the problem is partly due to the fact that there are not many vocational schools. Three years ago, one of the city s secondary schools extended its vocational education program by creating a class for lingerie industry technicians. However, experienced designers are still in high demand. The lingerie industry is constantly changing. As a result, the success of the company depends upon the

4 K. Krot and D. Lewicka: The Importance of Trust in Manager-Employee Relationships 227 experience and hidden competencies of the staff; human resources make a difference for companies in the lingerie industry. Experienced competent workers are the company s greatest asset. Human resource issues are the company s greatest hindrance to growth and development. Lingerie production, in general, is based upon a high level of technological and product innovation [39]. The competitive ability of the company depends upon the qualifications and commitment of its employees. As a result, vertical trust between managers and employees is a key to the company s success. 3.1 Measurement Methods Seppanen et al., [29] showed that previous research studies use many different methods to measure trust. Most of the studies do not use replication. Most of the studies create new measurement methods. Studies that use measurement methods from others studies generally modify the methods to meet their specific needs. The issue may be due to the fact that previous research studies use many different concepts to describe trust. Previous research studies showed that there are three types of trust in an organizational environment: horizontal trust between co-workers, vertical trust between employees and managers, and vertical trust between managers and employees. Tzafrir and Gur [34]used a questionnaire with two different scales, the Trust Assessment Scale by Wichita State University and Tzafrir and Dolan s [34,40] trust scale, to measure the three types of trust. The both scales have been adjusted for working conditions in Poland. The questionnaire asked the respondents to answer four groups of questions. Some of the questions were related to demographics. The rest of the questions were related to horizontal trust (24 items), vertical trust between employees and managers (14 items), and vertical trust between managers and employees (18 items). The questions used five-point Likert scales (1 = strongly disagree, 5 = strongly agree) to measure the three dimensions of trust: competence, benevolence, and integrity. Wells and Kipnis [37] used open-ended questions to measure trust. They asked employees to describe why they trusted their managers. They also asked managers to describe why they trusted their employees. The employees primarily described personal reasons. The managers described both job-related issues and personal reasons. Study results showed that the three dimensions of trust may have different roles in different types of relationships. Study results showed that the importance of the three dimensions may also vary with the characteristics of the relationships: duration, familiarity, and type of cooperation. Study results showed that trust is a dynamic aspect of relationships [7], which is built and fostered through positive mutual interactions. The aim of this study is to determine the affects of the three dimensions of trust (competence, benevolence, and integrity) on the three types of trust (horizontal trust, vertical trust between employees and managers, and vertical trust between managers and employees) in organizational environments. Figure 1 shows the research model for this study. Competence Benevolence Integrity Horizontal trust Vertical trust between employees and managers Vertical trust between managers and employees Source: Authors Figure 1: The research model The research model assumes that the nature of trust varies in different types of relationships. For example, in horizontal relationships, integrity may be more important than competence and benevolence. In vertical relationships between employees and managers, benevolence and integrity may be more important than competence. In vertical relationships between managers and employees, competence and integrity may be more important than benevolence. The study used a Likert-scale questionnaire to measure the three dimensions of trust for the three types of trust relationships. The entire company was asked to participate in the survey. Questionnaires were completed and returned by 84 managers and employees, 70% of the company. The sample size was large enough to create an accurate research model for describing the characteristics of Gaia employees and drawing reliable conclusions. Table 1 shows survey results for the demographic questions in the questionnaire. Most of the questionnaires were completed by women. In lingerie companies, most of the employees (from sales managers, to production technologists, and sewing machine operators) are women. Gaia employs 115 women, 95.8% of their employees. Therefore, the gender characteristics of the sample accurately represent the gender characteristics of the entire company. The other characteristics of the sample accurately represent the other characteristics of the entire company, as well. The study also asked the managers and employees to describe their general attitudes toward their co-workers, employees, and managers.

5 228 International Journal of Electronic Business Management, Vol. 10, No. 3 (2012) Table 1: Demographic characteristics of the survey respondents (percents) Sex Education Seniority female 95.3 compulsory 2.4 up to 3 years 11.3 male 4.7 vocational years 35.0 Age A-level years 37.5 < university degree years Type of contract more than 19 years indefinite-term contract 71.4 Position fixed-term contract 27.4 non-executive 77.6 > probationary contract 1.2 executive 22.4 Source: Authors research. 4. RESULTS 4.1 Reliability Test Results The survey results were used to measure the affects of the three dimensions of trust (competence, benevolence, and integrity) on the three types of organizational trust (horizontal trust between co-workers (HT), vertical trust between employees and managers (VTE), and vertical trust between managers and employees (VTM)) in the company. Cronbach s alpha values were used to assess the reliability of the three dependent variables. Table 2 shows the Cronbach s alpha values for the three dimensions of organizational trust. Cronbach s alpha values range from 0.69 to The Cronbach s alpha value for integrity in horizontal trust was lowest, but still acceptable. The Cronbach s alpha values indicate that the three dependent variables were reliable [reference needed]. Table 2: Cronbach s alpha values for the dimensions of trust HT VTE VTM Cronbach s alpha Mean Cronbach s alpha Mean Cronbach s alpha Mean Competence Benevolence Integrity Source: Authors research. 4.2 Questionnaire Results Questionnaire results showed that VTM (vertical trust between managers and employees) was highest (mean 4.05). VTE (vertical trust between employees and managers) was lowest (mean 3.62). HT (horizontal trust between co-workers) was slightly higher (mean 3.66). For HT, items related to competence and reliability were rated lowest. For VTM, items related to integrity were rated highest (mean 4.13). For VTE, items related to confidence in managers were rated lowest (mean 3.65). For VTE items related to confidence in managers, items related to willingness to take employee interests into consideration during decision-making processes were rated lowest (mean 3.45). The results show that employees must demonstrate competence and reliability in their relationships with co-workers. The results show that employees must demonstrate integrity in their relationships with managers. The results show that managers demonstrate benevolence, consideration, and sensitivity toward their employees in their decision-making processes. They must make decisions that consider the needs and interests of their employees. 4.3 Analysis Results Tables 3-5 show analysis results. Table 3 shows correlations between the three dimensions of trust and the three types of trust: horizontal trust, vertical trust between employees and managers, and vertical trust between managers and employees. Table 3 results show that the three dimensions of trust are related to the three types of trust (p < ). Table 3: Correlations Mean SD HT VTE VTM Competence HT Benevolence HT Integrity HT Competence VTE

6 K. Krot and D. Lewicka: The Importance of Trust in Manager-Employee Relationships 229 Mean SD HT VTE VTM Benevolence VTE Integrity VTE Competence VTM Benevolence VTM Integrity VTM Source: Authors research. Table 4 shows the effects of the three dimensions of trust on the three types of trust. Competence affects trust less than benevolence and integrity. Competence affects trust between co-workers (r = 0.47) less than trust between employees and managers (r = 0.67) and trust between managers and employees (r = 0.73). Integrity affects trust between co-workers (r = 0.64) and trust between managers and employees (r = 0.85) more than competence and benevolence. Benevolence affects trust between employees and managers (r = 0.71) more than competence and integrity. Benevolence affects trust between co-workers (r = 0.60) and trust between managers and employees (r = 0.81) less than integrity. Table 4: The effects of the three dimensions of trust Level of effect I II HT VTE VTM Integrity (r= ) Benevolence (r= ) Competence III (r= ) Source: Authors research Benevolence (r= ) Integrity (r= ) Competence (r= ) Integrity (r= ) Benevolence (r= ) Competence (r= ) The results show that integrity and benevolence are most important for building trust in an organization. The results show that integrity (honesty and fairness) is most important for building trust between co-workers or between managers and employees. The results show that benevolence is most important for building trust between employees and managers. Employees are inclined trust their managers, if they show interest and concern for their welfare. Table 5 shows Spearman rank correlation (R) results. The results show the dimensions of trust that were most closely associated with the overall means for the different types of trust. Higher correlation coefficients indicate greater effects. All of the correlation coefficients were statistically significant. The results indicate that all of the dimensions of trust had effects on the the different types of trust. Integrity had the greatest effect on horizontal trust. Two questions were used to measure the effect of integrity on horizontal trust: honesty (r = 0.63) and the ability to talk with colleagues (r = 0.49). Benevolence also had an effect on horizontal trust. Two questions were used to measure the effect of benevolence on horizontal trust: the belief that colleagues wish them well (r = 0.40) and the belief that colleagues would help them (r = 0.46). An additional dimension, closeness, also had an effect on horizontal trust. One question was used to measure the effect of closeness on horizontal trust: the belief that everyday business meetings were pleasant (r = 0.50). Table 5: Spearman rank correlations Spearman rank correlations Horizontal trust If I have trouble with anything on the work, I can safely talk about my concerns with my colleagues and 0.49 get advice. I am confident that my colleagues wish me well I am certain that I would get help from my colleagues Daily business meetings with colleagues are a pleasant part of the 0.50 day. I am confident about the honesty of 0.63 my colleagues. Vertical trust employees in managers Employees involved in the implementation of the project are informed about the various stages and know what they seek My boss is interested in my needs and problems, if they occur Overall, in my company my boss keeps his/her promises I believe that the motives and intentions of my employer are good Vertical trust managers in employees My staff performs their duties honestly I believe that my employees are honest I believe that the motives and intentions of my employees are 0.77 good. I can always count on my employees My staff and I make a good team Source: Authors research.

7 230 International Journal of Electronic Business Management, Vol. 10, No. 3 (2012) Benevolence had the greatest effect on vertical trust between employees and managers. Two questions were used to measure the effects of benevolence on vertical trust between employees and managers: belief that managers are concerned for their welfare (r = 0.69) and belief that managers inform them (r = 0.63). Integrity also had an effect on vertical trust between employees and managers. One question was used to measure vertical trust between employees and managers: belief that managers keep their promises (r = 0.56). Integrity had the greatest effect on vertical trust between managers and employees. Three questions were used to measure the effect of integrity on vertical trust between managers and employees: fairness and honesty (r = 0.78), efficient fulfilment of tasks (r = 0.74), and the belief that employees be relied upon in difficult situations (r = 0.70). Benevolence also had an effect on vertical trust between managers and employees. One question was used to measure the effect of benevolence on vertical trust between managers and employees: the belief that employees motives and intentions are good (r = 0.77). 5. CONCLUSION Trust takes a long time to build and that trust can be easily damaged. Other studies showed that trust is multidimensional and that there are different types of intra-organizational trust relationships. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of three dimensions of trust (competence, benevolence and integrity) on the different types of intra-organisational relationships. The study determined the effects of competence, benevolence, and integrity on horizontal and vertical trust relationships. A survey was used to confirm that the nature of trust can vary for different types of relationships within a company. Survey results showed that there were significant differences between the effects of the three dimensions of trust on three types of relationships between employees at Gaia, a lingerie company in Białystok, Poland. Study results bring a new dynamic to the literature on trust formation. Study results show that the dimensions of trust are different for horizontal (co-worker) and vertical (manager-employee or employee-manager) trust relationships. Study results also show that the ways that trust are built are different for horizontal (co-worker) and vertical (manager-employee and employee-manager) trust relationships. Employees have different expectations for their colleagues than they have for their managers. Study results provide a valuable contribution to the body of knowledge related to trust management. As a result study results can be used to build, maintain, and strengthen intra-organizational trust relationships. Previous research studies focused on one type of intra-organizational trust relationship (horizontal trust relationships between co-workers, vertical trust relationships between managers and employees, or vertical trust relationships between employees and managers). This study provided a comprehensive analysis of the three types of intra-organizational trust relationships. As a result, this study provided holistic insight into the dimensions of trust and the effects of the dimensions of trust on intra-organizational trust relationships. Study results for Gaia, a lingerie company in Białystok, Poland showed that integrity was the most important dimension of trust in horizontal relationships. Tan and Lim [31], McAllister [24] Knoll and Gill [20] published similar findings. Modern work teams and co-responsibility for completing tasks made integrity the most important dimension of trust. In particular, work tasks at Gaia required commitment, precision, and diligence. The requirements made integrity an essential dimension of trust. Study results for Gaia were similar for vertical (manager-employee) trust relationships. Integrity was the most important dimension of trust in vertical (manager-employee) trust relationships. In contrast, previous research studies showed that competence was the most important dimension of trust in vertical (manager-employee) trust relationships [28,37]. The difference may be due to the duration of the intra-organizational relationships in the studies. Bulent [7] showed that trust is dynamic. Competence is the most important dimension of trust in the first phase of intra-organizational trust relationships. The skills and knowledge of employees are visible parts of vertical (manager-employee) relationships that are easy to verify, even during recruitment. After verifying competence, managers apparently use deeper dimensions of trust (integrity) to evaluate employees. In contrast, benevolence does not develop in vertical (manager-employee) relationships. Study results for Gaia were different for vertical (employee-manager) relationships. Benevolence was the most important dimension of trust in vertical (employee-manager) relationships. Previous research studies [9,21] published similar results. Employees primarily evaluate their managers based upon their interpersonal skills. Employees believe that managers should take care of them and protect them. They also believe that managers should take care of their interests and needs, resolve differences, and take care of issues. Companies that operate in competitive environments undergo continual changes. Consequently, their intra-organizational relationships change, as well. Trust is a key element of intra-organizational relationships. Study results show that the dimensions of trust may change as intra-organizational relationships are established and then mature. Therefore, it is important to identify

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10 K. Krot and D. Lewicka: The Importance of Trust in Manager-Employee Relationships 233 信任在管理者與員工關係的重要性 Katarzyna Krot 1* Dagmara Lewicka 2 1 比亞韋斯托克理工大學管理系波蘭比亞韋斯托克鄉村 45A 2 AGH 科技大學管理學院波蘭克拉科夫阿密茨凱維奇大道 30 摘要 信任是一個複雜且具多層面的現象 組織內的信任包括著不同類型的專業工作者間的關係 : 同事間的關係或是員工 直屬主管及管理者間的關係 組織內的信任可以是個人人際關係或是具機構性的 為了衡量 解釋及瞭解在組織裡的這種現象, 除了信任的類型外, 我們必須探討信任的構面 : 能力 (competence) 善意 (benevolence) 及正直 (integrity) 這也意味著在不同類型的關係下, 信任扮演不同的角色 因此, 本文的目的是在衡量組織信任的能力 善意及正直構面不同關係下的正確性 其中信任類型包含水平信任 員工對管理者 ( 下對上 ) 的垂直信任及管理者對員工 ( 上對下 ) 的垂直信任 本研究的結果顯示在 Gaia 公司裡, 能力 構面最不影響所有類型的信任 另外 正直 在同事間是最重要的構面 而 善意 構面則支配著員工對管理者的信任 關鍵詞 : 水平信任 垂直信任 信任的構面 波蘭 (* 聯絡人 :katarzynakrot@gmail.com)