Questions and Topics We Can Help You To Answer:

The Dynamics of Trust Model

Welcome to Week 4.

Reviewing the Introduction and Learning Objectives on this page will orient you to this week's topics and activities.


Who do you trust? The first people that probably come to mind are family members or close friends. For organizations to be successful, they also must operate with a high level of trust. Managers need to know they can count on employees to perform their tasks in a timely, acceptable manner, while everyone needs to trust that upper management will keep promises on wages, benefits, and opportunities. In a study of 53 different organizations, the results showed that 46.5% of those surveyed felt lack of trust was an issue at work. The majority wanted to see the actions of the leaders match their words, with open, honest communication being the most important factor in building trust (Bernthal, pp. 2−4).

This week you will examine the role of trust and trust building in conflict resolution. You will consider how blame, attribution, and lack of trust can escalate a conflict and how, as a manager, you can to turn the situation around by building trust. You will analyze how you can build positive expectations from others as to your motives and intentions. As a manager, gaining the trust of those you work with will be one of the greatest assets you can have.

Reference: Bernthal, P. (1999). A survey of trust in the workplace: Executive summary. Retrieved from Development Dimensions International July 29, 2010, from http://www.ddiworld.com/DDIWorld/media/trend-research/succession-management-practices_fullreport_ddi.pdf?ext=.pdf


Learning Objectives


By the end of this week, you will be able to:

Diagnose a workplace conflict using the Dynamics of Trust Model
Determine the most effective sequence of steps for building trust in conflict situations
Evaluate the actions that can be taken to build procedural trust, to implement confidence building measures, and to strengthen interpersonal trust