Building intra-organisational trust with managerial communications
by Risto Seppänen; Miia Kosonen; Mika Vanhala; Hanna-Kaisa Ellonen
International Journal of Management Practice (IJMP), Vol. 7, No. 2, 2014

Abstract: Trust is seen as a critical element in the knowledge-based network economy by virtue of it having a number of important benefits for organisations. Previous research has suggested that intra-organisational communication and information sharing are essential factors in trust-building processes. Managers and managerial communication, in particular, are seen as key actors. In this study, the relationships between different forms of managerial communication and the experience of intra-organisational trust is examined. The study adds to the literature by applying motivational language theory in explaining trust within organisations. The findings verify that all three dimensions of managerial communication, according to motivational language theory, are crucial elements in both building and maintaining trust within an organisation. The results also indicate a notable gap in perceived trust that depends on whether managers communicate with their subordinates face-to-face or online. Thus, managers should consciously choose the channels depending on the task at hand, as well as pay more attention to social communication online and establish less task-focused management cultures.

Online publication date: Mon, 26-May-2014

The full text of this article is only available to individual subscribers or to users at subscribing institutions.

 
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.

Pay per view:
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.

Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Management Practice (IJMP):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:

Username:        Password:          Forgotten your password?

Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.

If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com