Employee trust-repair practices: scale development and validation

Abstract

Purpose: In this paper, the authors describe the step-by-step approach used to develop a trust-repair construct and a valid measurement scale for assessing employee perceptions of the most effective employee trust-repair practices. Design/methodology/approach: The initial employee trust-repair scale (ETRS) was completed by 282 employees of a non-profit organization and validated by 101 employees of the administrative unit of the Finnish Army. Findings: The 14-item seven-factor model was found to be reliable, valid and stable across the samples. Research limitations/implications: This study contributes to the current literature on trust repair by presenting the first validated measure for employee trust repair. Practical implications: The findings provide a valuable instrument for practitioners to assess the state of employee trust-repair practices. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study in an organizational context demonstrating an operationally valid and comprehensive measure for employee trust-repair practices.