This article reports on the development of a 12-item scale to measure an individual's level
of trust in his or her supervisor and in his or her work organization as a whole. The scale
was tested in seven different organizations, with a total sample size of 779 individuals.
Reliability, validity, and factor analytic data are presented to demonstrate that the instrument
is psychometrically adequate and stable. The scale is usable in both academic research and
applied settings.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Anderson, J.C., and D.W. Gerbing.1988. Structural equation modeling in practice: A review and recommended two-step processPsychological Bulletin103:411-23.
2.
Argyris, C.1964. Integrating the individual and the organizationNew York: John Wiley.
3.
—. 1970. Intervention theory and method: A behavioral science viewReading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
4.
Balk, W., D. Olshfski, P. Epstein, and M. Holzer.1991. Perspectives on productivityPublic Productivity and Management Review15:265-79
5.
. Barnes, L.B.1981. Managing the paradox of trustHarvard Business Review59:107-16.
6.
Bartolome, F.1989. Nobody trusts the boss completely—Now what?Harvard Business Review2:135-42.
7.
Bennis, W., and B. Nanus.1985. Leaders: Strategies for taking chargeNew York: Harper and Row.
8.
Bentler, P.M.1992On the fit of models to covariances and methodology to the BulletinPsychological Bulletin112.400-4.
Boss, R.W.1978. Trust and managerial problem solving revisitedGroup and Organizational Studies3:330-41.
12.
Butler, J.K., and R.S. Cantrell.1984. A behavioral decision theory approach to modeling dyadic trust in superiors and subordinatesPsychological Reports55:19-28.
13.
Cacioppi, J.T., R.E. Petty, and C. Feng Kao.1984. The efficient assessment of need for cognitionJournal of Personality Assessment48:306-7.
14.
Caplan, R., S. Cobb, J. French, R. Van Hamson, and S. Pinneau.1975. Demands and worker health: Main effects and organizational effectivenessWashington, DC: U.S Government Printing Office.
15.
Carnevale, D.G., and B. Wechsler.1992. Trust in the public sectorAdministration and Society23:471-94.
16.
Condrey, S.E.1995Reforming human resource management systems: Exploring the importance of organizational trustAmerican Review of Public Administration25:341-54.
17.
Conte, H.R., and R. Plutchik.1981. A circumplex model for interpersonal personality traitsJournal of Personality and Social Psychology40:701-11.
18.
Cook, J., and T. Wall.1980. New work attitude measures of trust, organization commitment and personal need non-fulfillmentJournal of Occupational Psychology53:39-52.
19.
Cooke, R., and J. Lafferty.1987. Organizational culture inventory , Level V. Chicago: Human Synergistics.
20.
Covey, S.R.1991. The taproot of trustExecutive Excellence8:3-4.
21.
Creed, W.E.D., and R.E. Miles.1996. Trust in organizations In Trust in organizations: Frontiers in theory and research, edited by R. Kramer and T. Tyler. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
22.
Cronbach, L.J.1951. Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of testsPsychometrika16:297-334.
23.
Culbert, S.A., and J.J. McDonough.1986. The politics of trust and organizational empowermentPublic Administration Quarterly10:171-88.
24.
Cummings, L.L., and P. Bromiley.1996. The organizational trust inventory OTI: Development and validation In Trust in organizations: Frontiers in theory and research, edited by R. Kramer and T. Tyler. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
25.
Daley, D.M.1991. Management practices and the uninvolved manager: The effect of supervisory attitudes on perceptions of organizational trust and change orientationPublic Personnel Management20:101-13.
26.
Danserau, F., G. Graen, and W.J. Haga.1975. A vertical dyad linkage approach to leadership within formal organizations: A longitudinal investigation of the role-making processOrganizational Behavior and Human Performance13:46-78.
27.
Deming, W.E.1986. Out of the crisisCambridge, MA: MIT Center for Advanced Engineering Study.
28.
Deutsch, M.1949. An experimental study of the effect of cooperation and competition upon group processHuman Relations2:199-231.
29.
—. 1958. Trust and suspicionJournal of Conflict Resolution2:265-79
30.
Diffie-Couch, P.1984. Building a feeling of trust in the companySupervisory Management (April): 31-6.
31.
Drehmer, D.E., and J.H. Grossman.1984. Scaling managerial respect: A developmental perspectiveEducational and Psychological Measurement44:763-76.
32.
Driscoll, J.W.1978. Trust and participation in organizational decision making as predictors of satisfactionAcademy of Management Journal21:44-56.
33.
Eubanks, P.1991. Employee empowerment key to organizational changeHospitals65:40.
34.
Folger, R.1987. Distributive and procedural justice in the workplaceSocial Justice Research1:143-59.
Friedlander, F.1970. The pnmacy of trust as a facilitator of further group accomplishmentJournal of Applied Behavioral Science6:387-401.
37.
Fulk, J., A.P. Brief, and S.H. Barr.1985. Trust-in-supervisor and perceived fairness and accuracy of performance evaluationsJournal of Business Research13:301-13.
38.
Gibb, J.R.1965. Fear and facade: Defensive managementIn Science and human affairs, edited by R. E. Farson. Palo Alto, CA: Science and Behavior Books.
39.
Golembiewski, R.T.1985. Humanizing public organizationsMt. Airy, MD: Lomand.
40.
Golembiewski, R.T., and M.L. McConkie.1975. The centrality of interpersonal trust in group processes In Theories of group processes, edited by C. L. Cooper. New York: John Wiley.
41.
Graen, G.B., and T.A. Scandura.1987. When managers decide not to decide autocratically: An investigation of leader-member exchange and decision influenceJournal of Applied Psychology71:579-84.
42.
Griffin, K.1967. The contribution of studies of source credibility to a theory of interpersonal trust in the communication processPsychological Bulletin68:104-20.
43.
Hart, K.M., H.R. Capps, J. Cangemi, and L.M. Caillouet.1986. Exploring organizational trust and its multiple dimensions: A case study at General MotorsOrganizational Development Journal4:31-9.
44.
Hackman, J.R., and G.R. Oldham.1975. Development of the job diagnostic surveyJournal of Applied Psychology60:159-70.
45.
Higgins, R.D., and M. Johnson.1991. Total quality enhances education of U.S. Army engineersNational Productivity Review11:41-9.
46.
Higginson, T.J., and R.P. Waxler.1989. Developing a trust culture to survive in the 1990sIndustrial Management31:27-8.
47.
Hollmann, R.W.1976. Supportive organizational climate and managerial assessment of MBO effectivenessAcademy of Management Journal19:560-76.
48.
Hollon, C.J., and G.R. Gemmill.1977. Interpersonal trust and personal effectiveness in the work environmentPsychological Reports40:454
49.
. Honeycutt, A.1989. Creating a productive work environmentSupervisory Management34:12-6.
50.
Honbe, F.1991. Weaving habits of the heart into quality managementCanadian Manager16:21-4.
51.
Hurst, D.K.1984. Of boxes, bubbles, and effective managementHarvard Business Review62:78-88.
52.
Idaszak, J.R., and F. Drasgow.1987. A revision of the job diagnostic survey: Elimination of a measurement artifactJournal of Applied Psychology72:69-74.
53.
Isaac, S., and W. Michael.1971. Handbook in research and evaluationSan Diego, CA: EDITS.
54.
Jago, A.G.1982. Leadership: Perspectives in theory and researchManagement Science28(3):315-36.
55.
Jeanquart-Barone, S.1993. Trust differences between supervisors and subordinates Examining the role of race and genderSex Roles29:1-11.
56.
Kanter, R.M.1972. Commitment and communityCambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
57.
Kavanagh, M.J.1975. Expected supervisory behavior, interpersonal trust and environmental preferencesOrganizational Behavior and Human Performance13:17-30.
58.
Kegan, D.I.1971. Organizational development: Description, issues and some research resultsAcademy of Management Journal14:453-64.
59.
Keller, R.T.1978. A longitudinal assessment of a managerial grid seminar training programGroup and Organizational Studies3:343-55.
60.
Kouzes, J.M., and B. Posner.1987. The leadership challengeSan Francisco : Jossey-Bass.
61.
Kramer, R., and T. Tyler.1996. Trust in organizations: Frontiers in theory and researchThousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
62.
Larson, C.E., and F.M. LaFasto.1989. Teamwork: What must go right/what can go wrongNewbury Park, CA: Sage.
63.
Larzelere, R.E., and T. Huston.1980. Dyadic trust scale: Toward understanding interpersonal trust in close relationshipsJournal of Mariage and Family42:595-604.
64.
Leary, M.R., J.A. Shepperd, M.S. McNeil, T.B. Jenkins, and B.B. Barnes.1986Objectivism in information utilization: Theory and measurementJournal of Personality50:32-43.
65.
Lewis, J.D., and A. Weigert.1985. Trust as a social realitySocial Forces63:967-85.
66.
Liden, R.C., and G. Graen.1980. Generalizability of the vertical dyad linkage model of leadershipAcademy of Management Journal23:451-65.
67.
Luhmann, N.1979. Trust and powerNew York: John Wiley.
68.
Matthai, J.M.1989. Employee perceptions of trust, satisfaction, and commitment as predictors of turnover intentions in a mental health setting. Doctoral dissertation, Peabody College of Vanderbilt University.Dissertation Abstracts International, DAI-B 51/02.
69.
Meyer, J.P., and N.J. Allen.1984. Testing the "side-bet theory" of organizational commitment: Some methodological considerationsJournal of applied psychology69:372-8.
70.
Mishra, J., and M. Morrissey.1990. Trust in employee/employer relationships: A survey of West Michigan managersPublic Personnel Management19:443-85.
71.
Morgan, G.1989. Riding the waves of changeSan Francisco : Jossey-Bass.
72.
Morgan, R.M., and S. Hunt.1994. The commitment-trust theory of relational marketingJournal of Marketing58:20-38.
73.
Morris, L.1995. Creating and maintaining trustTraining and Development49:52-3.
74.
Nachmias, D.A.1985. Determinants of trust with the federal bureaucracy In Public personnel policy: The politics of public service , edited by D. H. Rosebloom. Port Washington, NY: Associated Faculty Press.
75.
Navan, F.J.1992. Empowering employees to excelSupervisory Management37:4-5.
76.
Nyhan, R.C., and H.A. Marlowe.1995. Performance measurement and Total Quality Management (TQM) in the public sector: Opportunities and challengesPublic Productivity and Management Review18:333-48.
77.
Ouchi, W.G.1981. Theory z: How American business can meet the Japanese challengeReading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
78.
Pascale, R.T., and A.G. Athos.1981. The art of Japanese managementNew York: Warner Books.
79.
Patten, T.H.1972. OD, MBO and RP's system: A new dimension in personnel administrationPersonnel Administration (March-April): 14-23.
80.
Peters, T.J., and R.H. Waterman.1982. In search of excellence: Lessons from America's best run companiesNew York: Harper and Row.
81.
Pritchard, R.D.1990. Measuring and improving organizational productivity: A practical guideNew York: Praeger.
82.
Podsakoff, P.M., S.B. MacKenzie, R. Moorman, and R. Fetter.1990. Transformational leader behaviors and their effects on follower's trust in leader, satisfaction, and organizational citizenship behaviorsLeadership Quarterly1:107-42.
83.
Quinn, R.1989. Beyond rational managementSan Francisco : Jossey-Bass.
84.
Rodgers, C.R.1961. On becoming a personBoston : Houghton Mifflin.
85.
Romzek, B.S.1985a. The effects of public service recognition, job security and staff reductions on organizational involvementPublic Administration Review45:282-91.
86.
—. 1985b. Perceptions of agency effectiveness as a basis for differences in organizational involvementA research note. Review of Public Personnel Administration6:76-85.
87.
Rotter, J.1967A new scale for the management of interpersonal trust Journal of Personality 35:651-65.
88.
—. 1971. Generalized expectancies for interpersonal trustAmerican Psychologist26:443-52.
89.
Savage, D.1982. Trust as a productivity management toolTraining and Development Journal (February): 54-7.
90.
Savery, L., and H. Waters.1989. Influence and trust in a multinational companyJournal of Managerial Psychology4:23-6.
91.
Schein, E.H.1969. Process consultation: Its role in organizational developmentReading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
92.
Scott, C.L.1980. Interpersonal trust: A comparison of attitudinal and situational factorsHuman Relations33:805-12.
93.
Scott, K.D.1980. The causal relationship between trust and the assessed value of management by objectivesJournal of Management6:157-75.
94.
—. 1981. The development of four new organizational measures of trust In Proceedings of the Southern Management Association , edited by D. F. Ray. Mississippi State: Printing Department, Mississippi State University.
95.
—. 1983a. The relationship between age and interpersonal trust within an organizational contextReview of Business and Economic Research18:71-82.
96.
—. 1983b. Trust differences between men and women in superior-subordinate relationshipsGroup and Organizational Studies8:319-36.
97.
Simmell, G.1964. The sociology of Georg Simmell, edited by K. Wolfe. New York: Free Press.
98.
Sinetar, M.1988. Building trust into corporate relationshipsOrganizational Dynamics (Winter): 73-9.
99.
Spector, P.1985. Measurement of human service staff satisfaction: Development of the Job Satisfaction SurveyAmerican Journal of Community Psychology13:693-713.
100.
Spector, P.E.1982. Behavior in organizations as a function of employee's locus of controlPsychological Bulletin91:482-97.
101.
Tanaka, J.S., A.T. Panter, and W.C. Winborne.1988. Dimensions of the need for cognition: Subscales and gender differencesMultivariate Behavioral Research23:35-50.
102.
Wanguri, D.M.1985. The superior-subordinate relationship: A preliminary study of downward task-relevant confidential information disclosure in the public sectorPaper presented to Southern Speech Communication Association Annual Convention, Winston-Salem, NC. ERIC Document Reproduction Series No. ED 255 962.
103.
Zand, D.F.1972. Trust and managerial problem solvingAdministrative Science Quarterly17:229-39.
