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.