The Creation of Trust Through Interaction and Exchange

Abstract

Scholars generally agree that highly effective organizations require the cultivation of personal relationships that are high in trust. However, although most conceptualizations of relational trust stress the roles of intention and choice, few explain how these are socially constructed in discrete interactions. To this end, the authors introduce the concept of consideration. Consideration entails a mode of interaction in which (a) a resource is bestowed to a recipient, (b) under a context of choice, (c) involving little sacrifice on the part of the giver, and (d) implying that the recipient’s situation is present in the giver’s thoughts and feelings. Consideration was observed to be central to trust formation and maintenance in a large defense company. Collegial relationships high in trust are characterized by the consistent application of consideration where there are perceived opportunities. These findings have useful implications for management, network theory, social capital, economic sociology, and friendship in the workplace.