FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
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Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-00/14

Title and Subtitle: Organizational change: An assessment of trust and cynicism

Report Date: May 2000

Authors: Thompson, R.C., Joseph, K.M., Bailey, L.L., Worley, J.A., and Williams, C.A.

Abstract: In the organizational science literature, organizational cynicism is generally considered to be conceptually distinct from organizational trust. This proposition, however, has not been adequately assessed. The present study attempts to distinguish these two constructs by utilizing organizational-level focused measures. Two surveys were administered about six months apart to members of a division that was undergoing change in a large federal agency. Data could be matched for 70 of the respondents on the two surveys.

The results show that a measure of cynicism about change does not predict trust in coworkers or trust in work area managers, but does predict trust in division managers. These results do not conclusively demonstrate a distinction between the two constructs, however, they suggest that the constructs are related in a predictable manner. Finally, from the data obtained in this study of an organizational group undergoing change, it appears that trust of management is related to increased workgroup cohesion, and that trust is not due only to workforce cynicism. Instead, trust and cynicism may need to be addressed separately by management in order to most successfully implement change.

Key Words: Organizational Cynicism, Organizational Trust, Organizational Change

No. of Pages: 12