The Central Role of Communication in Developing Trust and its Effect on Employee Involvement
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Authors
Thomas, Gail Fann
Zolin, Roxanne
Hartman, Jackie L.
Subjects
trust
communication satisfaction
communication audit
communication quality
quantity of communication
communication satisfaction
communication audit
communication quality
quantity of communication
Advisors
Date of Issue
2009
Date
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Abstract
Communication plays an important role in the development of trust within an organization. While a
number of researchers have studied the relationship of trust and communication, little is known about
the specific linkages among quality of information, quantity of information, openness, trust, and outcomes
such as employee involvement. This study tests these relationships using communication audit
data from 218 employees in the oil industry. Using mediation analysis and structural equation modeling,
we found that quality of information predicted trust of one’s coworkers and supervisors while
adequacy of information predicted one’s trust of top management. Trust of coworkers, supervisors, and
top management influenced perceptions of organizational openness, which in turn influenced employees’
ratings of their own level of involvement in the organization’s goals. This study suggests that the
relationship between communication and trust is complex, and that simple strategies focusing on either
quality or quantity of information may be ineffective for dealing with all members in an organization.
Type
Article
Description
The article of record as published may be located at http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0021943609333522
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Citation
Journal of Business Communication, Volume 46, Number 3, July 2009 287-310
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This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.