Learning to trust in social enterprises: The contribution of organisational culture to trust dynamics

Abstract

General models for trust development in organisations suggest a linear path founded on three bases (calculus, knowledge, identification). Seeking to capture a more dynamic nature for the trust development pathway, this study focuses on the role of organisational culture in shaping these paths by conveying sensemaking processes. Through exploratory group interviews, we examined how trust can be boosted or weakened among senior and newcomer members of two Italian social enterprises (NPSEs) as organisational contexts whose core values make trust a valuable relational asset. Our in-depth analysis of key trust processes showed that the NPSE members refer principally to a non-linear path of trust-building in their professional experience, and acknowledge the knowledge base as the starting point for, and the main source of, trust. Two other processes for implementing trust also emerged, the spillover of trust capabilities to other kinds of relationships, and their leaders' ability to establish organisational routines that can consolidate trust. Overall, our findings contribute to connecting trust-building dynamics to broader organisational culture, highlighting specific routines and practices – intentional as well as informal – that encourage their members to learn to trust. Applicative implications for building trust in workplaces are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Trust
• non-profit organisations
• social enterprises
• learning to trust
• focus group
• organisational culture
• newcomers’ socialisation

Acknowledgements

We thank Ezio Scatolini for his help in the development and conduction of the focus groups and Marco Cincinelli for his support in text analysis. We would also like to show our gratitude to Ashley Fulmer for her encouragement and valuable guidance throughout the development of this article. We are also grateful to the Editor and the anonymous reviewers for their insight and expertise that greatly improved the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Maria Luisa Farnese

Maria Luisa Farnese is an associate professor of organizational psychology at the Sapienza University of Rome (Italy). She earned her PhD in Work and Organization Psychology at the University of Bologna (Italy). Her main areas of research are organizational learning, socialization at work, trust, organizational culture and learning from mistakes. On these issues, she published several journal articles and books.

Paula Benevene

Paula Benevene is an associate professor of work and organizational psychology at LUMSA University (Rome, Italy). She is the director of the LUMSA's Master's degree in Psychology of Work and Organizational well-being. Among her main fields of interest: management of non-profit organizations, organizational well-being, and intangible resources.

Barbara Barbieri

Barbara Barbieri is an associate professor at the University of Cagliari (Italy), where she teaches Psychology of Human Resources, and is director of the Master's degree in Public Administration Sciences. She received her PhD in Social and Developmental Psychology from the Catholic University of Milan (Italy). Her areas of research concern the relationship between the individual and the organization, among them: psychological well-being at work; the organizational socialization processes; gender and work; organizational learning and the management of human capital.