Perceived Trustworthiness Within the Organization: The Moderating Impact of Communication Frequency on Trustor and Trustee Effects

Abstract

This paper investigates the antecedents of intraorganizational trust and, more specifically, how the frequency of communication between trustor and trustee moderates the impact of these factors on perceived trustworthiness. Data on 157 dyadic relationships among 50 senior managers within a multinational corporation confirm that the effect of both trustor, as well as trustee characteristics on the level of perceived trustworthiness, is moderated by the frequency of communication between the two parties. As communication frequency increases, the trustor's general attitudinal predisposition towards peers becomes less important as a determinant of his/her evaluation of trustworthiness of other managers within the organization. In contrast, as communication frequency increases, the trustor's and trustee's contexts within the organization become more important determinants of perceived trustworthiness.