The Primacy of Trust as a Facilitator of Further Group Accomplishment

Abstract

The longitudinal study reported in this article focuses directly upon Gibb's (1964) model, in which the formation of trust is theorized to facilitate and, in part, to be a prerequisite to further group accomplishment. The author explores the impact of initial high and low levels of trust upon later group accomplishment in two sets of groups: one set which participated in organizational training laboratories, and one which did not. Results indicate that prelaboratory trust is a key predictor of eventual group accomplishment, although trust itself did not increase as a result of an isolated laboratory training experience. Furthermore, and as a function of training, the trainee's postlaboratory concept of trust merged with his concept of an effective group and an effective group meeting.