Innocenza Tuason
Chair and Faculty, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Canada.The Relationship between Trust and Organizational
Culture Change
This qualitative, instrumental case study explores the work of four
senior leaders and 29 of their subordinates in a large Canadian bank
during the implementation of significant organizational/cultural
change. Cultural reengineering, downsizing, and mergers have become
commonplace in many of today’s organizations. These changes have
created upheaval and uncertainty within organizations and among
their employees (Schein, 2004). At the heart of these upheavals is the
issue of trust – can we trust the organization, its leaders, and each other
to do what is ‘right’? This research is intended to provide a mechanism
to explore certain aspects of trust formation and sustainment, as well as
an understanding of the changing role of leader and employee as they
undertake to change an organizational culture.
Trust is a critical component of a healthy organization (Greenleaf,
1998; Wheatley & Kellner-Rogers, 1999) and is the glue that binds
organizational members together and allows people to interact most
effectively with each other (Boverie & Kroth, 2001; Johnson, 2007). The
findings support the importance of trust for successful culture change
initiatives. Trust is built through relationships; the success of a trusting
relationship is dependent upon both the leader and the employee.
The research supported the findings of Mayer, Davis and
Schoorman (1995) and Whitener, Brodt, Korsgaard, and Werner (1998),
in particular, the importance of leadership role-modeling, integrity,
benevolence, fairness, and inclusiveness in developing a trusting
relationship. Findings differed from theory in a few key areas: (a) the
ability attribute as a factor of perceived trustworthiness, (b) the
importance of one’s propensity to trust, (c) the factors that contribute to
one’s propensity, (d) the subjective nature of trust, and (e) the need to
have a confidant to whom one can turn during periods of change.
The findings supported the critical importance of, and
interconnectivity between, relationship building and trust (Caldwell &
Hayes, 2007; Dirks & Skarlicki, 2004) as well as Bolman and Deal’s
(1997, 2001), Deal and Kennedy’s (1999), Schein’s (1999a, 1999b, 2004),
and Wheatley’s (1999, 2002, 2005) research on culture and change. In
addition, the data revealed a relationship between trust and the servant
leadership theory of Robert Greenleaf (1998). Additional insights are
also provided for members of organizations undergoing culture change.