Trust and quality of life: A study in organizations for individuals with intellectual disability

Abstract

BackgroundBased on social exchange within organizations for individuals with intellectual disability, we explore trust between supervisors and team members and its association with organizational performance oriented to the quality of life of service users. AimsWe examine the mediating role of teams’ trust in supervisors in the relationship between supervisors’ trust in teams and performance focused on improving the quality of life of service users. We expect teams to reciprocate supervisors’ trust by reporting greater levels of trust in supervisors and better performance. Method and proceduresWe tested this trust-mediated model with a sample of 139 supervisors (reporting trust in their teams), 1101 team members (reporting trust in their supervisors), and 1468 family members (reporting performance focused on quality of life). Outcomes and resultsOur findings confirmed a cross-level mediation process. Supervisors’ trust in their teams leads to teams’ trust in their supervisors. This trust at the team level in turn is positively associated with organizational performance oriented to improving the quality of life of individuals with intellectual disability, reported by family members. Conclusions and implicationsOur study builds on and extends an established stream of research on trust theory by considering trust and its association with performance focused on quality of life.