Interpersonal Trust in Organizational Settings

Interpersonal trust constitutes a foundational element of effective organisational functioning, defined as the willingness of one individual to be vulnerable to another based on positive expectations of their intentions or behaviour. In workplace contexts, trust emerges from a combination of individual predispositions, relational experiences and structural conditions. Key antecedents include perceptions of ability, benevolence and integrity in colleagues and leaders, underpinned by social exchange dynamics. High levels of trust facilitate open communication, knowledge sharing and cooperation, which in turn bolster team cohesion, innovation and overall performance. Conversely, breaches of trust can erode morale, impede collaboration and undermine strategic initiatives, making the study of trust repair strategies equally critical. Recent scholarship has also highlighted the importance of preserving trust during periods of disruption—such as organisational change or crisis—through practices that reinforce shared values and adapt existing trust frameworks. Across sectors and cultural contexts, interpersonal trust operates at multiple levels, from dyadic exchanges between employees and supervisors to networked relationships among peers. As organisations become more global and technology-mediated, understanding how trust develops, falters and can be restored remains essential for sustaining resilience, ethical governance and long-term success.

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Interpersonal Trust in Organizational Settings publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in interpersonal trust in organizational settings across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Cognition-based trust: Trust grounded in beliefs about another’s competence, reliability and professional capabilities.

Affect-based trust: Trust founded on emotional bonds, personal care and genuine concern for one another’s well-being.

Trust repair: Deliberate strategies and interventions aimed at restoring trust following perceived violations or breaches.

Vertical trust: Confidence placed in organisational authorities or supervisors by subordinates, reflecting hierarchical relationships.

Horizontal trust: Trust among peers or colleagues operating at the same organisational level, facilitating collaboration and teamwork.

References

1. Preserving Organizational Trust During Disruption. Organization Studies (2020).
2. A Critical Review of the Conceptualization, Operationalization, and Empirical Literature on Cognition‐Based and Affect‐Based Trust. Journal of Management Studies (2022).
3. Employee trust repair: A systematic review of 20 years of empirical research and future research directions. Journal of Business Research (2021).
4. HR Practices for Supporting Interpersonal Trust and Its Consequences for Team Collaboration and Innovation. Sustainability (2019).
5. Antecedents and Consequences of Frontline Employee’s Trust-in-Supervisor and Trust-in-Coworker. Sustainability (2020).