Culture and trust in technology-driven organizations

Culture and Trust in Technology-Driven Organizations provides insight into the important role that culture and trust can play in the success of high-technology organizations. This book reviews the literature and results of an empirical study that investigated the relationship between mechanistic and organic cultures and the level of trust in technology-based organizations.

The book outlines the literature on organizational trust and culture and the role theorists believe they play in the success of a changing domestic and global business environment. It identifies ways of defining culture and trust as well as the survey instruments used to measure them. The book then examines the results of two studies that demonstrate the connection between organizational culture and trust. The two studies were conducted at separate times using data collected from several companies within a three-hour radius of each other. These companies are highly dependent upon the ability to identify, hire, and retain highly skilled knowledge workers. These workers are critical for the companies to successfully compete within the scope of their business and expand into their current and other markets.

The book provides a practitioner's guide--based on the literature review and the results of the studies examined--that can be used to assess, diagnose, and improve employees' perception of their work culture and improve trust found in organizations. This guide provides management with actions and activities that should be considered when handling the day-to-day business of the organization. If followed, these activities can be instrumental in designing a culture that leads to success and ease of operation for the organization and its members.

Author Notes

Alston, Frances

Preface	p. xiii
About the author	p. xv
Chapter 1 Importance of trusting cultures	p. 1
1.1 Introduction	p. 1
1.2 Technology-driven organizations in the global marketplace	p. 2
1.3 Relationship between increased productivity and trusting cultures	p. 4
Section I Literature review and the empirical study
Chapter 2 Literature review	p. 9
2.1 Introduction	p. 9
2.2 Organizational culture	p. 9
2.3 Defining organizational culture	p. 10
2.4 Burns and Stalker's organic and mechanistic management systems	p. 13
2.5 Likert System IV management process	p. 13
2.6 Connection between mechanistic and organic cultures and Likert management systems	p. 14
2.7 Summary of culture literature review	p. 17
2.8 Organizational trust	p. 17
2.9 Defining organizational trust	p. 18
2.10 Principal trust attributes	p. 18
2.11 Summary of trust literature review	p. 22
Section II Result of empirical studies
Chapter 3 Research statement and methodology	p. 25
3.1 Introduction	p. 25
3.2 Research question and objective	p. 25
3.3 Hypotheses	p. 25
3.4 Research significance and contribution to the body of knowledge	p. 26
3.5 Contribution to the disciplines of management and leadership	p. 27
3.6 Survey instrument selection	p. 28
3.6.1 Measuring organizational culture	p. 28
3.6.2 Measuring organizational trust	p. 30
3.7 Demographic questionnaire	p. 32
3.8 Targeted population	p. 33
3.9 Data collection process	p. 33
Chapter 4 Pilot study	p. 35
4.1 Conducting the pilot study	p. 35
4.1.1 Organization A	p. 35
4.1.2 Organization B	p. 35
4.1.3 Organization C	p. 35
4.2 Pilot results	p. 36
4.3 Summary of pilot study	p. 39
4.4 Lesson learned	p. 39
Chapter 5 Full study	p. 41
5.1 Introduction	p. 41
5.2 Description of data analysis methods	p. 41
5.3 Data characteristics	p. 41
5.4 Participating organizations	p. 43
5.4.1 Organization D	p. 44
5.4.2 Organization E	p. 44
5.4.3 Organization F	p. 44
5.4.4 Organization G	p. 45
5.4.5 Organization H	p. 45
5.4.6 Organization I	p. 45
5.4.7 Organization J	p. 45
5.4.8 Organization K	p. 46
5.4.9 Organization L	p. 46
5.4.10 Organization M	p. 46
5.5 Data and analysis of results	p. 46
5.6 Normality and survey reliability analysis	p. 47
5.7 Mean analysis	p. 47
5.8 Correlation analysis	p. 53
5.9 Hypothesis testing-trust attributes	p. 53
5.10 Analysis by organization	p. 54
5.11 Summary of organizational analyses	p. 55
5.12 Trust in technology-driven organizations	p. 56
5.13 Gender analysis	p. 57
5.14 Ethnic group analysis	p. 58
5.15 Age analysis	p. 61
5.16 Job tenure analysis	p. 62
5.17 Industry analysis	p. 62
5.18 Job status/position analysis	p. 63
5.19 Conclusion	p. 64
Chapter 6 Technology-driven organization cultures	p. 67
6.1 Characteristics of technology-driven organization cultures	p. 67
6.2 Redefining cultures for technology-driven organizations	p. 68
6.3 Culture-the foundation of trust	p. 70
6.4 Summary	p. 70
Chapter 7 Study recommendations and conclusions	p. 73
7.1 Recommendations	p. 73
7.2 Conclusion	p. 74
7.3 Limitation of the study	p. 75
7.4 Areas for future study	p. 75
Section III Practitioner's guide
Chapter 8 Tactics for building and maintaining trust	p. 81
8.1 Introduction	p. 81
8.2 Organizational diversity	p. 82
8.2.1 Gender intelligence	p. 83
8.2.2 Ethnicity and trust	p. 85
8.3 Organizational alignment and policies	p. 86
8.4 Dealing with perceptions	p. 86
8.5 Role of trust attributes in building a culture of trust	p. 87
8.5.1 Openness and honesty	p. 88
8.5.2 Competence	p. 89
8.5.3 Concern for employees	p. 90
8.5.4 Identification	p. 90
8.5.5 Reliability	p. 91
8.5.6 Relationship	p. 91
8.6 Selection and promotion of new managers	p. 92
8.6.1 Leadership training	p. 93
8.7 Building trusting cultures	p. 94
8.8 Perils of mistrust	p. 95
8.9 Behaviors that facilitate trust	p. 95
8.10 Interpersonal communication	p. 96
8.11 Soft side of management	p. 97
8.12 Leader's role	p. 97
8.12.1 Performance appraisals	p. 99
8.12.2 Reward and recognition	p. 100
8.12.3 Succession planning	p. 100
8.12.4 Employee engagement	p. 101
8.13 Leadership styles	p. 101
8.13.1 Situational leadership	p. 102
8.13.2 Servant leadership	p. 102
8.13.3 The micro leader	p. 103
Chapter 9 Manager's toolkit	p. 105
9.1 Introduction	p. 105
9.2 Guidelines for assessing organizational culture and trust	p. 105
9.2.1 Document review	p. 106
9.2.2 Selecting a survey instrument	p. 106
9.2.3 Development of a demographic survey	p. 107
9.2.4 Developing a survey instrument	p. 107
9.2.5 Conducting focus group discussions	p. 108
9.2.6 Selecting a facilitator	p. 108
9.2.7 Conducting interviews	p. 109
9.2.8 Analyzing and reporting the data	p. 109
9.2.9 Culture improvement plan	p. 109
9.3 Case study 1: Dysfunctional management	p. 110
9.4 Case study 2: The absent manager	p. 111
9.5 Case study 3: The art and importance of relationships	p. 113
9.6 Case study 4: Diversity matters	p. 114
9.7 Case study 5: Management accountability	p. 115
9.8 Individual Trust Questionnaire	p. 116
9.8.1 Survey completion	p. 116
9.8.2 Survey analysis	p. 116
9.8.3 Individual Trust Questionnaire guide	p. 117
9.8.4 Individual Trust Questionnaire	p. 118
9.9 Organization Trust Questionnaire	p. 119
9.9.1 Survey completion instructions	p. 119
9.9.2 Survey analysis	p. 119
9.9.3 Organization Trust Questionnaire guide	p. 120
9.9.4 Organization Trust Questionnaire	p. 121
9.10 Employee Engagement Questionnaire	p. 122
9.10.1 Survey completion	p. 122
9.10.2 Survey analysis	p. 122
9.10.3 Employee Engagement Questionnaire	p. 123
9.11 Management Trust Questionnaire	p. 124
9.11.1 Survey completion	p. 124
9.11.2 Survey analysis	p. 124
9.11.3 Management Trust Questionnaire	p. 125
9.12 Instruction for completing the Organizational Culture Questionnaire	p. 126
9.12.1 Survey instruction	p. 126
9.12.2 Organization Culture Questionnaire	p. 127
9.13 Culture focus group questions	p. 129
9.14 Trust focus group questions	p. 129
9.15 Practitioner guide summary	p. 130
Appendix: Participating organization data and charts	p. 131
References	p. 155
Index	p. 159

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