Discussion: View Thread

SPECIAL SESSION(S) IV: THEORIZING ABOUT TRUST ACROSS CONTEXTS

CHAIRS:
Richard Priem, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, USA
Antoinette Weibel, University of Liechtenstein, Liechtenstein
Reinhard Bachmann, University of Surrey, UK

PLEASE EXCUSE FOR CROSS-LISTINGS

Academic disciplines must deal simultaneously with two imperatives:
separation and integration (Sen, 2007, Economica). The separation imperative
requires identifying and sharply defining the differences that make research
questions unique, and then analyzing each distinct issue individually. The
integration imperative requires identifying interrelationships that may
exist across distinct issues, thereby analyzing them collectively.

Bamberger (2008, AMJ) recently argued that management theory could be
advanced by moving from simply identifying the context within which a
distinct phenomenon is analyzed to instead developing theories that
incorporate differences in the phenomenon across contexts. He defines
“context theories” as “those theories that specify how surrounding phenomena
or temporal conditions directly influence lower-level phenomena, condition
relations between one or more variables at different levels of analysis, or
are influenced by the phenomena nested within them.”

Trust researchers have been especially effective in identifying and sharply
defining trust-related questions for study (i.e., the separation
imperative). Such topics include: trust processes (e.g., formation,
maintenance, dissolution and repair), trust at different levels of analysis
(e.g., individual, group, organization), dimensions of trustworthiness
(e.g., ability, benevolence, integrity), types of trust (e.g.,
unconditional, conditional, distrust), temporal differences (e.g., swift
trust) and many more.

The central theme underlying this track involves “context theories” that
might further integrate the trust literature by identifying
interrelationships among previously-separate trust constructs, levels or
questions (i.e., the integration imperative). Submissions are invited which
examine context theories of trust at the individual, group, organization,
institutional or societal levels, or across multiple levels, and they may
focus on context differences based on: process characteristics, trust
dimensions, trust types, time issues or other differences in setting that
may affect aspects of trust. In addition to empirical research, we are
calling for and encouraging conceptual and theoretical papers, and
insightful reviews of existing relevant theory and research.
Multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary contributions are encouraged,
including contributions from psychology, sociology, organizational behavior
and theory, critical management, political science, and economics.

Possible research issues and questions include:

• In which situations are trust-related processes made salient, and why? For
example, we might speculate that for organizational newcomers issues of
trust achieve high pertinence, yet it is far less clear under which
circumstances regular employees question trust again. Under which conditions
is the taken-for-grantedness of trust shaken? When and why is the inertia
related to distrust moved?

• How might the relative importance of trustworthiness dimensions (as
characteristics of a person/group/institution) be affected by context? In
what sorts of contexts, for example, are ability more important or less
important than benevolence or integrity to perceptions of trustworthiness,
and why?

• How does an individual’s trust in one member of an organization affect
that individual’s expectations of group or organizational trustworthiness?
How does trust in an organization affect trust in individual members?

• Why do individuals in some societies/organizations/groups trust even
strangers to watch out for their interests, while individuals in other
societies/organizations/groups use distrust as the default condition for
strangers? In which situation will an individual predisposition to trust
gain in importance, and why? What is needed for trusting individuals to
unleash positive spirals of interpersonal trust in organizations? How might
an interactionist approach be applied to trust theory?

• According to Lewicki et al. (1998), one may simultaneously trust and
distrust the same individual for differing tasks. How might context
influence such differential trust, and why?

• How is trust in organizations related to trust in individuals? Under which
circumstances might a lack of trust in the organization or distrust in the
organization taint trust in its organizational members? In which situation
can trust in focal organizational members substitute for trust in the
organization (or even cover a lack of trust in the organization), and why?

Authors intending to participate are requested to upload an 800-1000 words
abstract of their work by June 1 2009.
By June 20 they will receive a notification of acceptance/rejection. Final
papers of 6.000-10.000 words and 1,5 spacing should be uploaded at this
website by November 21 2009.

The following information is required in the abstract:
- Title of paper.
- Name, academic affiliation(s) and address of author(s).
- E-mail address of each author

For more details please visit:
http://www.eiasm.org/frontoffice/event_announcement.asp?event_id=669#1897

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