Trust in organizations

Trust as a foundation in organizations

Trust is the foundation of any well-functioning organization. When interaction fails, transparency diminishes or responsibility is pulverised, it is often trust that has taken a crack. Trust is not just a soft value — it is a necessary prerequisite for collaboration, learning and innovation.

Have you experienced that a lack of trust has hindered collaboration in your organization? Then you have learned that trust is not an ideal, but a practice that must be built and maintained.

What does trust consist of?

The classic trust model from Mayer, Davis, and Schoorman (1995) shows that trust is built on three components:

• Competence — the experience that a person has the ability and skills to deliver

• Benevolence — the belief that the other has good intentions

Integrity — the impression that actions are in line with values and principles

When one of these components weakens, trust diminishes — and the relationship is challenged.

When trust weakens

Signs of low trust in organizations:

• Increased regulatory management and control measures

• Protective behavior rather than open sharing

• Critical questions are avoided

• Employees make the minimum, but no more

Even small ambiguities or elusive leadership can over time create a climate characterized by insecurity and low psychological security.

Confidence and psychological security

Amy Edmondson's research shows that trust and psychological security are closely linked. Confidence is about whether one dares to take risks in interaction with others — such as asking questions, sharing concerns, or admitting mistakes. When leaders promote openness, recognize vulnerability, and encourage reflection, both trust and security are strengthened.

Trust in hybrid and digital teams

In digital and hybrid forms of work, trust building is further challenged:

• Fewer spontaneous interactions

• Increased risk of misunderstandings

• Harder to read emotional signals

What can be done?

• Prioritize digital arenas for relationship building, not just task focus

• Be explicit about intentions, especially in writing

• Track appointments punctually — digital trust is built on deliveries and response

Cultural Differences in Trust Building

Trust and control - a necessary balance

It's not either trust or control - it's the balance that decides. Control is about reducing risk; trust is about promoting responsibility. How control is introduced and practiced determines how it is experienced.

A checklist can either be experienced as support - or as distrust - depending on the context and dialogue.

Practical advice

Trust is built in the small, and every leader has a responsibility:

• Be Consistent and Trusting

• Ask questions and listen actively

• Give room, but follow up

• Explain the purpose behind structures

• Share uncertainty — it allows for mutual openness

Trust is the invisible infrastructure that makes learning, innovation, pace and responsibility possible. Organisations with a high degree of trust are better placed for sustainable development, especially in times of change and complexity.

Further reading and resources

- Podcast: “WorkLife with Adam Grant” (episodes about trust and psychological reassurance)

- Book: Amy Edmondson -- *The Fearless Organization*

- Article: “An Integrative Model of Organizational Trust” (Mayer, Davis & Schoorman, 1995)

- DIFI Report: *Trust-Based Governance and Management in the State*

References

• Mayer, R. C., Davis, J. H., & Schoorman, F. D. (1995). *An Integrative Model of Organizational Trust*. *Academy of Management Review*

• Edmondson, A. (1999). *Psychological Safety and Learning Behavior in Work Teams*. *Administrative Science Quarterly*

• Difi (2018). *Trust-Based Governance and Leadership in the State — Opportunities and Challenges*

• Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkov, M. (2010). *Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind*

• House, R. J., et al. (2004). *Culture, Leadership, and Organizations: The GLOBE Study of 62 Societies*

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