Exploring interpersonal trust in a South African–based petrochemical organisation

Abstract

The aim of this study is to conduct a theoretical study on the foundations of trust on an intra–organisational level, while assessing the level of trust and relationships present within the organisation. Foundations of trust with respect to i) intra–organisational management and ii) peer–to– peer relations are discussed in the literature study with specific relation to sustainable competitiveness. The literature study highlights several factors that either promote or hinder intra–organisational trust. Values can create a sustainable competitive advantage for any business, if the values are supported by the employees of the organisation on every level. Trust is one of the foundations of values – without trust there is not much on which to build an organisation that will thrive in today‘s competitive market place. A survey consisting of two established questionnaires was distributed to determine the trust levels, as well as the attributes that are present with respect to values on an intra–organisational level. The significant differences on trust levels were identified by the empirical research and it was concluded that not all employees experience trust levels equally in the organisation. A significant effort needs to be made by management on all levels and the complete population; age, race and job category in order to foster a trusting environment. This intra–organisational study will focus on the basic principles of trust in order to improve the trust relationships in the organisation. This effort will lift the trust relationship to extra–ordinary levels by identifying the significant problem areas and then focussing the trust–building activities on those areas.