Hi Martin,

it might be helpful to look into the trust model from Mayer and Schoorman.

One possible approach to measure trust:

Dulewicz and Higgs developed a menu-based trustworthiness scale for interpersonal relationships with an item pool to assess trustworthiness in different research contexts (also for a managerial context). The scale measures the four trustworthiness factors: ability, benevolence, integrity and risk avoidance. Dulewicz and Higgs also developed a scale to measure the predisposition to trust (see Ashleigh, Higgs, and Dulewicz).

Since predisposition to trust moderates the relationship between the trustee's (manager) trustworthiness and the trustor's (followers) trust into the trustee you can calculate: trust = trustworthiness x predisposition to trust.

Some references

Ashleigh, M.J., Higgs, M. and Dulewicz, V. (2012). A new propensity to trust scale and its relationship with individual well-being: implications for HRM policies and practices. Human Resource Management Journal, 22(4): 360v376

Mayer, R.C., Davis, J.H. and Schoorman, F.D. (1995). An integrative model of organizational trust. Academy of Management Review, 20(3): 709–734

Schoorman, F.D., Mayer, R.C. and Davis, J.H. (2007). An integrative model of organizational trust: Past, present, and future. Academy of Management Review, 32(2): 344–354

I hope this is of any help, 

regards

Michael

Thanks very much...my summer project is underway!

Dear Martin

There's a good recent book on ways of researching trust from Edward Elgar: http://www.e-elgar.com/shop/handbook-of-research-methods-on-trust

Hope that helps. Good luck.

Hi Martin,

I could imagine that the degree of reciprocity in frequent social relations is also an indicator of trust (just as Granovetter described "strong ties").

Regards, Volker

Hi Martin,

see Mayer and Gavin, Academy of Management Journal

2005, Vol. 48, No. 5, 874–888.. 

Hope that helps,

Houcine