The importance of trust between leaders and subordinates

Abstract

The subject of my master thesis is to see how leaders view and think of trust in theirrelationships with their subordinates and how this could be related to the use of task control.The themes explored in this study are mainly drawn from a wide range of theory, thus givingit a deductive approach. The main theoretical framework is constructed of proposed theory ontrust by Dirks, Long & Sitkin, Gargiulo & Ertug, and McAllister. This study will explore thedefinition of trust, how trust is built, the relationship between cognitive-based and affectivebasedtrust, and how trust is related to task control.

In order to investigate this subject I have chosen a qualitative approach, interviewingthree team-leaders within one particular organization. I have turned, mainly, to InterpretivePhenomenological Analysis (IPA) for inspiration when dealing with the analysis of theinterviews. The main purpose of this study is then to investigate how experiences color theview points of these leaders regarding trust and control mechanisms and to then convey theirthoughts of this topic. The findings in this study correlate, in most cases, well with the theory.

The main research question is “What role does trust play in the encounter betweenleaders and subordinates?”

The main findings in this study are:

. Trust is seen as vital in order to build working relationships.

. There is a connection between cognitive-based trust and affect-based trust.

. Trust has an impact on the level and form of control utilized by leaders.

. The organization seems to have a trust-organizing effect.

. Trust lowers the levels of monitoring, vigilance and safeguarding.