Trust in organisational authorities and formulation of identity: a case study of Polish managers in a multinational corporation

Zaleska, K J (2000) Trust in organisational authorities and formulation of identity: a case study of Polish managers in a multinational corporation. Working Paper. London Business School Centre for Organisational Research Working Paper.

Abstract

This study tests the relational model of trust on the example of changes which occurred in Polish managers' judgements about trustworthiness of authorities in a subsidiary of a multinational corporation. The study presented the evidence how trust declined over three years' time within the context of the centralised power structure, the 'double bind' in the decision-making process and the actions of the authorities which communicated low status and disrespect to Polish managers. On the part of Polish managers their low self-esteem and attitudes toward power holders shaped by
their historical experiences diminished their ability to develop mutually positive workplace relationships and new identity. The findings supported a relational theory of trust in three ways: 1. Trust was linked to the sense of identity that Polish managers derived from their relationships with authorities; 2. An authority's intentions to maintain respectful relations in decision-making processes were central to the creation of trust; and 3. The trust played an important role in the formulation of Polish managers' identity since they seek to create a social bond with new authorities and seek to identify with them. Polish managers went from an extreme 'romantic' to 'hostility' stage in their perceptions of trustworthiness of authorities which suggests that in a specific national culture trust has not only different characteristics but has different dynamics.