Trust in Organizations

An impressive collection. Roderick M. Kramer and Tom R. Tyler have brought together a set of forefront studies that illuminate the causes and consequences of trusting behavior. This book will help shape the agenda for many years. --Mayer N. Zald, Department of Sociology, University of Michigan "Trust is like bone in an organization--undergirding, supporting, and enabling flesh and blood growth and function. This volume does a remarkable job of illustrating how healthy (versus unhealthy) trust systems develop and of tracing the profound consequences. It represents an invaluable resource for professionals interested in the dynamics of organizational effectiveness." --Robert B. Cialdini, Regents Professor of Psychology, Arizona State University "Roderick Kramer and Tom Tyler have produced an authoritative and stimulating collection of essays that raise the critical questions about trust. In the process, they challenge rational choice and social science generally to develop better models of negotiation and decisionmaking. Trust in Organizations goes a long way towards providing the foundations for such theorizing." --Margaret Levi, Department of Political Science, University of Washington Organizational theorists have long recognized the central role that trust plays in organizational life. They have noted that trust facilitates exchanges among individuals, enhances cooperation and coordination, and contributes to more effective social and organizational relationships. Researchers agree that there is a need for a better understanding of trust in organizations. Trust in Organizations is an essential guide that will provide students and professionals in organization studies, management, and public administration with a wealth of knowledge concerning the importance of trust. Editors Roderick M. Kramer and Tom R. Tyler have assembled a cross-disciplinary group of scholars--from social psychology, behavioral economics, sociology, and organizational theory--to bring together some of the newest and most exciting conceptual perspectives in this field. These contributions also reflect a variety of new methodological approaches to the study of trust. This volume's broad coverage includes discussion of the psychological and social antecedents of trust, the effects of social and organizational structures on trust, and the broad effects of trust on organizational functioning.