The effects of interpersonal trust on work group performance.
This study explored 2 questions: Does the level of trust within a group affect group performance? If so, how does this relationship operate? An experimental method was used to examine 2 roles through which interpersonal trust could affect group performance: a main effect and a moderating effect. The data do not support the main effect that has dominated the literature on interpersonal trust. The data do support the moderating role: Trust seems to influence how motivation is converted into work group processes and performance. On the basis of these findings, it is suggested that trust may be best understood as a construct that influences group performance indirectly by channeling group members' energy toward reaching alternative goals.
Dirks
K T
KT
Department of Strategic Management and Organization, University of Minnesota, USA. kdirks@sfu.ca
D001290:Attitude; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D014937:Work