Collective trust within organizations: Conceptual foundations and empirical insights

Abstract

This paper introduces a conception of collective trust applied to organizational settings. In contrast with widely studied interpersonal forms of trust, collective trust is conceptualized as a kind of generalized trust conferred on other organizational members. The paper elaborates on the psychological, relational, and structural underpinnings of collective trust. It then explicates individual and organizational consequences. The paper also discusses methodological approaches to studying collective trust, ranging from laboratory simulations to field-based, qualitative studies. Representative findings from such studies are summarized. © 2010 Macmillan Publishers Ltd.