| Recent organizational changes have dramatically affected the climate of trust in corporate America. Restructuring, an increasingly heterogeneous workforce, new information technologies, market pressures, and economic uncertainty are but a few of the many factors transforming the corporate landscape. In response to these social forces, organizations are reducing middle management, enlarging the scope of employee duties and responsibilities, and replacing permanent jobs with temporary positions. In these changing times, issues of trust, workplace diversity, and communication become extremely important.;This research examined the antecedents of trust, in terms of the similarities and dissimilarities between people in the workplace, and the consequences of trust, in terms of the influence strategies used. Two hundred seventy-five managers completed a downward influence survey which asked about an employee they either trusted or distrusted. A second sample of 267 subordinates completed an upward influence survey which asked about their relations with a trusted or distrusted manager. Both questionnaires were designed to provide data on demographic variables, frequency of interaction, trust, compliance-gaining behavior, and methods of tracking worker behavior.;It was found that distrust of subordinates by managers was associated with the use of strong tactics of influence, closer forms of monitoring, and the use of personal-related traits to explain distrust. It was also found that distrust of managers by subordinates was associated with the use of strong methods of influence, less interaction, less attempts to influence, and the use of personal-related characteristics to explain lack of trust. |
