Communication, Commitment & Trust: Exploring the Triad

Abstract

Despite growing interest on the issues of communication, trust and commitment, studies examining the interplay between all of these three variables are lacking. This paper attempts to address this gap. It draws on survey data involving 244 employees from a medium-size food processing organization operating in NSW (Australia). The study explored relationships between communication, trust and commitment. Trust was measured by a six-items composite scale assessing overall beliefs in good intentions of organization participants as well as the degree of faith/trust in various actors in the organization, including co-workers and managers at various levels of the hierarchy. Correlation analysis revealed that perceived effectiveness of communication between management and employees, commitment & pride in working for the company and trust were significantly interrelated. However, the relationship between Trust and Communication was the strongest, with commitment also showing a significant relation to Trust. On the other hand, the relationship between commitment and communication was relatively weaker. The results demonstrate the importance of effective communication within organizations as it relates to trust and organizational commitment. In particular, the study shows that trust and commitment do not just happen; they are forged and maintained through effective communication. Implications for management practice and future research are discussed.