Trust and the Manager-Subordinate Dyad: Virtual Work as a Unique Context

Abstract

Despite the importance of manager trust in subordinates, little has been done to examine the role of managers’ trust in subordinates, although a great deal of research has been done concerning ways to induce employees’ trust in their managers and organizations. In this paper, the mechanisms of managerial development of trust in virtual work are outlined, as a unique context, and an attempt is made to define some of the potential moderators. Management trust development is conceptualized in a framework, and implications for future research and practice are identified. It may be that improving measurement of virtual work will improve the linkages leading to trust in the dyad, particularly managers’ trust in subordinates.