Improving Organizational Communication through Trust

Abstract

Successful communication between persons within an organization is based on a foundation of mutual trust. Trust is explored through psychological/sociological avenues and finally through its implications for organizations. An atmosphere of trust can eliminate or minimize commonly prevailing communication barriers. Such barriers are classified as context-related (related to the communication environment or setting) and content-related (related to the message itself or the participants). Trust is a critical factor in overcoming communication barriers of both types. Organizational trust can be developed and improved by applying identified strategies. Individual relationships as well as organizational performance benefit from the establishment and maintenance of a trust atmosphere.

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