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- Status: Published
Examinations of trust have advanced steadily over the past several decades, yielding important insights within criminal justice, economics, environmental studies, management and industrial organization, psychology, political science, and sociology. Cross-disciplinary approaches to the study of trust, however, have been limited by differences in defining and measuring trust and in methodological approaches. In this chapter, we take the position that: 1) cross-disciplinary studies can be improved by recognizing trust as a multilevel phenomenon, and 2) context impacts the nature of trusting relations. We present an organizing framework for conceptualizing trust between trustees and trustors at person, group, and institution levels. The differences between these levels have theoretical implications for the study of trust and that might be used to justify distinctions in definitions and methodological approaches across settings. We highlight where the levels overlap and describe how this overlap has created confusion in the trust literature to date. Part of the overlap – and confusion – is the role of interpersonal trust at each level. We delineate when and how interpersonal trust is theoretically relevant to conceptualizing and measuring trust at each level and suggest that other trust-related constructs, such as perceived legitimacy, competence, and integrity, may be more important than interpersonal trust at some levels and in some contexts. Translating findings from trust research in one discipline to another and collaborating across disciplines may be facilitated if researchers ensure that their levels of conceptualization and measurement are aligned, and that models developed for a particular context are relevant in other, distinct contexts.
This thesis will focus on increasing the engagement of members within the W.P. Carey Business Ambassadors. This was done by first analyzing the environments the organization exists in: Arizona State University and the W.P. Carey School of Business. Each of these organizations contextualize the Business Ambassadors, providing a structure for the organization to operate within. Next, the organization’s processes are analyzed. This provides a current status of the club to be used a foundation for systematic review. Through this review, it is revealed that members often do the bare minimum required for the organization. In fact, only a select few fully taking advantage of the events offered by the club. To fix this, the management techniques outlined in the thesis’ primary source, Reframing Organizations by Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal, are introduced as ways to assist managers in problem sectors or areas of opportunity. These areas of review are the Structural, Human Resources, Political, and Symbolic frameworks. Each frame is explored and described, eventually being contextualized with the Business Ambassadors organization. These frames then provide insights to ways the organization can invoke greater participation from its members. These solutions include investing in training and mentorship, fulfilling member needs, promoting leadership, and leveraging the symbolic strength of the organization. The paper concludes with next steps for the organization and ways the solutions can be put into action with respect to the club’s goals.