McAllister’s Affect- and Cognition-Based Trust
In this article we cover the key concepts developed in Daniel J. McAllister’s pioneering work in the paper titled “Affect- and Cognition-Based Trust as Foundations for Interpersonal Cooperation in Organizations”.
Key Concepts and Main Ideas
Interpersonal Trust:
- Interpersonal trust is crucial in organizational settings for effective cooperation and performance.
- Trust enables individuals to take risks, relying on the belief that others will not exploit their vulnerability.
Forms of Trust:
- Cognition-Based Trust:
- Grounded in beliefs about the reliability and dependability of others.
- Influenced by knowledge and evidence of trustworthiness, such as consistent role performance and professional credentials.
- Affect-Based Trust:
- Based on emotional bonds and reciprocated care and concern.
- Developed through personal relationships and frequent interactions.
Factors Influencing Trust Development:
- Cognition-Based Trust:
- Influenced by past interactions, social similarities, and organizational context.
- Reliability, dependability, and professional credentials are critical.
- Affect-Based Trust:
- Influenced by personal interactions, genuine care, and organizational citizenship behaviours (OCB).
Implications for Behaviour and Performance:
- Behavioural Responses:
- Cognition-based trust reduces the need for control-based monitoring and defensive behaviour.
- Affect-based trust increases need-based monitoring and interpersonal citizenship behaviours.
- Performance Outcomes:
- High levels of trust enhance organizational effectiveness and individual performance.
- Trust impacts supervisor assessments of performance positively, particularly through discretionary contributions and efficient coordination.
Theoretical Foundations and Hypotheses:
- The study integrates sociological and social-psychological theories on trust.
- It hypothesizes distinct antecedents and consequences for cognition- and affect-based trust.
- It proposes that affect-based trust develops on a foundation of cognition-based trust and that both forms influence managerial behaviour and performance.
You can read the paper at this link
Summary
McAllister’s trust paper explores the nature and functioning of interpersonal trust within organizations, distinguishing between cognition-based and affect-based trust. It examines how each form of trust develops, the factors influencing their development, and their implications for behaviour and performance. The study emphasizes the importance of trust for effective cooperation, proposing a theoretical framework and hypotheses to understand the dynamics of trust among managers and professionals.
