Dimensions of Trust:-
Integrity:- Honesty and truthfulness.
Competence:- An individual’s technical and interpersonal knowledge and skills.
Consistency:- An individual’s reliability, predictability, and good judgment in handling situations.
Loyalty:- The willingness to protect and save face for another person.
Openness:- Reliance on the person to give you the full truth.
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Amrut Desai , former Managing Director & Country Manager India & SriLanka , Hohenstein India Pvt Ltd-fully owned by Hohenstein Institute GmbH Germany
TRUST:
Though “Trust” has long been a part of the foundation of society; one observes that it is often used and abused in the business world. Trust is a key aspect to all relationships, yet it can be misunderstood or mismanaged in many companies, leading to serious and undesirable consequences over time.
Trust can be simply defined as “Confidence in your relationships with others; a strong faith that they will meet your expectations.
Oxford dictionary defines Trust as follows" firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something"":
Our trust in another individual can be grounded in our evaluation of his/her ability”or competency, integrity, and benevolence. The more we observe these characteristics in another individual , our level of trust in that individual is likely to increase.
Ability or Competency
This refers to an assessment of the other's knowledge, skill, or competency. This dimension recognizes that trust requires some sense that the other is able to perform in a manner that meets our expectations.
Integrity
This is the degree to which the one who trusts adheres to principles that are acceptable to the one being trusted. This personality trait can be judged by ones commitment to ones words and deeds. A person is said to be having integrity if there is no gap between his/her words and actions. He or she delivers what is promised. This dimension leads to trust based on consistency of past actions, credibility of communication, commitment to standards of fairness, and the congruence of the other's word and deed.
Benevolence
This aspect is our assessment that the trusted individual is concerned enough about our welfare to either advance our interests, or at least not impede them. The other's perceived intentions or motives of the trustee are most central. Honest and open communication, delegating decisions, and sharing control indicate evidence of one's benevolence.
Although these three dimensions are linked to each other, they each contribute separately to influence the level of trust in another within a relationship. However, ability and integrity are likely to be most influential early in a relationship, as information on one's benevolence needs more time to emerge. The effect of benevolence will increase as the relationship between the parties grows closer.
I. Executive – Everybody Else: The predictability and reliability of executive management in the eyes of the employees will, in large, determine the loyalty of the workforce in tough times. Unfortunately, many surveys and research studies report that senior management is the least trusted group in an organization.
Three ways to raise the level of this dimension:1.Open and honest communication to all levels of the company2.A collaborative approach to the workforce3.Consistent principles and behaviors
II. Manager – Employee: Research on this dimension consistently reports that employees have a greater level of trust in their immediate supervisor than any other management level in the firm. When a manager’s behavior toward employees is consistent over a period of time, employees can reasonably predict that manager’s behavior. The manager will be trusted at a high level. Managers who have difficulty demonstrating faith in others are typically not highly trusted.
Three ways to raise the level of this dimension:1.Tell the truth and share honest information, even if it’s to your disadvantage2.Demonstrate and foster a win-win focus3.Actively seek feedback
III. Peer-to-Peer: Manager-Manager/Employee-Employee: Where the first two dimensions span the company hierarchy, this dimension explores horizontal interaction. Trust is a foundational piece of teamwork, and the presence or absence of trust can predict the effectiveness of a team or group of peers. This dimension can be greatly impacted by collusion, secret interactions, plots and agreements that undermine and erode authentic, constructive workplace interactions.
Three ways to raise the level of this dimension:1.Create opportunities for social interaction2.Take a strong line against collusion and other demoralizing and counter-productive behaviors3.Motivate employees at all levels to solve problems by providing appropriate training, resources and rewards
IV. Facing the World: Company – Market: The impact of this dimension has been apparent for some time, from the downfall of Enron to the Wall Street and mortgage banking issues that face us today. Consumers have “advertising fatigue,” and demand a more personal relationship with the companies with which they do business.
Three ways to raise the level of this dimension:1.Strive for transparency with your public2.If a crisis or problem arises, step up and take responsibility3.Establish two-way communication with your market
V. Procuring Trust: Company-Vendors-Partners: Though this may be the least-reported-on dimension, the presence or lack of trust with suppliers, vendors and third party partners has a significant impact on company growth and health. This element of trust is crucial given the increasing role that outsourcing and other third party relationships are taking in today’s business environment.
Three ways to raise the level of this dimension:1.Set up procurement policies and procedures2.Make sure your accounts receivable management adheres to agreed up on terms3.Avoid creating arduous partnering agreements
In Business sector, there are six characteristics of trust are present. These are: (a)Predictability, (b)Caring, (c)Loyalty, (d)Reliance, (e)Belief and (f)Faith .Now these6 characteristics of trust go through5 dimension of Trust, which are as follows:
(1) Executive to Everybody Else
(2) Manager to Employee
(3) Manager to Manager or Employee to Employee
(4) Company to Market
(5) Company to Vendors to Partners