Propensity to Trust and the Impact on Social Exchange

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of individuals' propensity to trust on the relationship between supervisors and their subordinates. Specifically, the authors tested both the direct and interactional effects of supervisors' and employees' propensity to trust and perceptions of social exchange quality. Results indicated that managerial propensity to trust did not have a direct influence on perceptions of social exchange, but employees' propensity to trust was positively related to their perceived social exchange quality. Additionally, the interaction between managerial and employee propensity to trust indicated that the most positive exchange relationships were perceived to exist when both managers and employees were high in propensity to trust.