Trust repair in a cultural context: undertaking a synthesis of trust life cycle through critical literature review

Abstract

Trust is an important source to develop business understandings and relationships. It also greatly affects the social efficiency of business activities and transactions. The trust deficit is so prevalent in society; thus, it makes practical sense to explore its connotations, roots, linkages and effects. The subject of trust is very broad, however, in order to capture possible research gaps and explore the scope for future research, this study is limited to the level of examining mutual relationships among individuals at workplaces, and undertakes a critical literature review of the trust life cycle and trust repair process, examining empirical evidence with regards to trust, distrust, trust deficit and repair, seen through a cultural lens. Some limited research has identified core underlying variables (related to cognition, affect, and behavior, called “expectation assets”) which are supplemented by social and organizational factors, which also influence trust related expectations, and also influence the restoration and enhancement of trust. Research studies also highlight the relationship of trust with culture, with dominating perspective being ‘etic’, which relates to the understanding that trust is a global phenomenon affecting across various cultural domains and its effects can be observed as well as measured across cultures. Whereas, from an alternative ‘emic’ (culture-specific) perspective, though trust is a global phenomenon that cuts across all functional domains of a society, however, numerous differences exist that need to be taken into account while deciding trust levels as well as their intensity within a social setting