Contemporary organisational change and the importance of trust

Abstract

Over the last two decades the rate of social change has been so rapid that there are those who have announced the arrival of a whole new era. For this special edition of the South African Journal of Industrial Psychology, this paper examines some of these changes, as they are unfolding over two fronts. Firstly, the extent of change in respect of the transformation of work is considered. Secondly the manner in which employees are responding to these changes is examined. These changes are then related to the phenomenon of organisational trust and the importance of organisational trust within contemporary society. Opsomming Sosiale verandering oor die afgelope twee decades het teen so ‘n tempo plaasgeving dat sommige beweer dat ‘n nuwe era aangebreek het. Met die oog op hierdie spesiale uitgawe van die South African Journal of Industrial Psychology/ Suid Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Bedryfsielkunde verken hierdie artikel sommige van die veranderinge soos wat dit veral op twee fronte ontvou het. Eerstens word gekyk na die omvang van die transformasie van werk. Tweedens word die wyse waarop werkers op hierdie transformasie reageer, ondersoek. Hierdie veranderinge word daarna in verband gebring met die verskynsel van vertroue in organisasies asook met die belangrikheid van sodanige vertroue in die huidige tydsgewrig.