Mimetic trust and intra‐organizational network dynamics

Dynamic network models based on the homophily principle are criticized for neglecting organizational context conditions and the impact of role structures on the evolution of intra‐organizational trust networks. Using a neo‐institutional framework it is argued that individuals in competitive environments will attempt to reduce uncertainty about the trustworthiness of potential trustees by imitating the sociometric choice behavior of persons in similar network positions. Three hypotheses are developed. The positional trust hypothesis predicts that individuals tend to trust other actors who occupy a similar network position as themselves. The mimetic trust hypothesis argues that individuals trust actors who are trusted by persons in their own network position. Finally, the advisory trust hypothesis claims that individuals prefer to maintain trust relations to persons occupying a position of third party intermediary than to persons in other positions. An exploratory empirical test of the hypotheses is carried out by reanalyzing a longitudinal network study of the relationships among 25 salesmen in the furniture department of a North American retail sales store during the 1950s. Blockmodelling procedures are used to identify structural positions in the networks, and log‐linear analysis is applied to determine stability of choices within and between structural positions. The results support the mimetic trust and the advisory trust hypothesis.

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