The influence of ability, benevolence, and integrity in trust between managers and subordinates: the role of ethical reasoning

• Author: Ignacio Gil Pechuán,Álvaro Lleó de Nalda,Manuel Guillén
• Published date: 01 October 2016
• Date: 01 October 2016
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/beer.12117

The influence of ability,

benevolence, and integrity in

trust between managers and

subordinates: the role of

ethical reasoning



Alvaro Lle

o de Nalda

1

, Manuel Guill

en

2

and Ignacio Gil Pechu

an

3

1. Industrial Management Department at Tecnun,University of Navarra, c/Manuel de Lardizabal 13, 20018 San Sebastian,

Spain

2. Juan Jos

e Renau Piqueras Department of Business Administration and IECO, University of Valencia,Avda/ de los

naranjos s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain

3. Department of Business Organization, Polytechnic University of Valencia,Camino de Vera s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain

Numerous researchers have examined the antecedents of trust between managers and subordinates. Recent

studies conclude that their influence varies depending on whether what is being examined is a manager’s trust

in a subordinate or a subordinate’s trust in a manager. However, the reasons given to justify this phenomenon

present limitations. This article offers a new theoretical approach that relates the influence of each antecedent

to Aristotelian forms of reasoning, ethical, and instrumental. The proposed approach shows that the influence

of each antecedent depends on which rationality prevails in the person who trusts. The contribution of this

article is to better explain the phenomenon of interpersonal trust formation and its logic, while offering at the

same time several practical implications for managers interested in developing an organizational culture

based on trust. The article begins with a literature review of more relevant empirical studies analyzing

superior–subordinate trust formation and presents some theoretical limitations of the arguments described in

these works. Then, it offers a new theorerical approach based on Aristotelian thought to explain the influence

of the antecedents of trust in management–subordinate relationships. The theoretical contribution is then

confirmed in an empirical study of 163 mid-level managers in Spain.

Introduction

Interpersonal trust is essential to the functioning of

any organization and determines whether it achieves

its objectives (Davis et al. 2000; Brower et al. 2009;

De Jong & Elfring 2010). The degree of inter-

dependence created between workers and managers

in order to meet the organization’s goals requires a

climate of trust for at least two reasons. First,

dependence on others involves risks as one’s own

actions are dependent on those of others, which

means a minimum level of trust is necessary to enable

people to work together (Gulati & Westphal 1999;

Williams 2001; L€

ams€

a & Pucetaite 2006; Jordao &

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doi: 10.1111/beer.12117

556

Business Ethics: A European Review

Volume 25 Number 4 October 2016

Novas 2013). Similarly, cooperation between mem-

bers of the organization is improved when there is

trust, thereby encouraging teamwork, commitment,

and personal fulfillment (Dirks & Ferrin 2001; Wang

et al. 2013).

It therefore seems reasonable to examine the con-

cept of trust more closely in order to better under-

stand its workings and the rules by which it is

governed. New discoveries in this area would

encourage further development of human potential

within organizations and help to create a culture

favoring organizational commitment (Dayan 2010;

Tremblay et al. 2010; Cho & Park 2011; Tsai et al.

2014) and, also, increase the reputation of the firm

(Swift 2001).

There are many models and studies that address

the trust formation process (Deutsch 1958; Knox &

Kee 1970; Zand 1972; Hosmer 1995; McAllister

1995; McKnight & Chervany 1996; Lewicki et al.

1998; Rousseau et al. 1998; Sheppard & Sherman

1998; Brower et al. 2000; Williams 2001; Lewicki &

Tomlinson 2006; Castaldo et al. 2010; Fulmer & Gel-

fand 2012). However, one of the most distinguished

contributions to the scientific literature is the model

published in 1995 in the Academy of Management

Review by Mayer et al. As a result of its widespread

dissemination, this study has become one of the most

relevant academic works on the subject. It offers a

generally applicable model, which describes the ele-

ments that people base their decisions on regarding

whether to trust others: the antecedents of trust.

Mayer et al. (1995) specify three antecedents of trust:

the ability, benevolence, and integrity of the person

in whom trust is placed (trustee).

Of the studies which use Mayer et al.’s (1995)

model, the most notable are those that examine the

influence of antecedents in different kinds of rela-

tionships where trust is formed (Mayer & Gavin

1999, 2005; Tan & Tan 2000; Colquitt et al. 2007;

Lapidot et al. 2007; Tan & Lim 2009). These studies

distinguish between trust generated by managers in

their subordinates, trust generated by subordinates

in their managers and trust between coworkers.

Many studies conclude that the influence of the ante-

cedents of trust (the ability, benevolence, and integ-

rity of the trustee) is affected by the kind of

relationship involved, that is to say that the relative

weight of each of the antecedents varies, depending

on whether one is trusting in a manager, a subordi-

nate, or a coworker (Gabarro 1978; Lapidot et al.

2007; Werbel & Henriques 2009; Knoll & Gill 2011;

Wasti et al. 2011).

One of the latest studies to support the thesis that

Mayer et al.’s three antecedents have differing levels

of influence depending on whether one trusts a supe-

rior, a subordinate, or a coworker was written by

Knoll & Gill (2011). However, the results of their

empirical work do not fully confirm all their hypoth-

eses (Knoll & Gill 2011: 326), leaving further work to

be done on the theoretical reasons for this

phenomenon.

Our study advances the line of research adopted

by Knoll & Gill (2011) and offers arguments that

support and strengthen theirs. Specifically, the pur-

pose of this study is to present a theoretical approach

drawn from business ethics which relates the influ-

ence of each antecedent when trust is placed in a

manager to when it is placed in a subordinate.

In order to achieve this aim, we will begin by

describing the study on organizational trust pub-

lished by Mayer et al. in 1995. This will be followed

by a summary of the studies which have examined

the influence of Mayer et al.’s antecedents based on

the kind of relationship involved (whether it is a man-

ager who trusts a subordinate or a subordinate who

trusts a manager), with special reference to Knoll &

Gill’s (2011) work. Third, a proposed theory rooted

in the Aristotelian distinction between ethical rea-

soning and technical or instrumental reasoning will

be offered to explain the differing influence of the

antecedents in trust relationships between managers

and subordinates. Specifically, we will argue that the

influence of the antecedents will vary depending on

the kind of reasoning (practical or instrumental)

which takes precedence in the formation of man-

ager–subordinate trust, as opposed to subordinate–

manager trust. Finally, in the last section of this

study, we will test our hypotheses using an empirical

study based on a survey of 163 mid-level managers.

After describing and discussing the results of the sur-

vey, we will conclude with five managerial implica-

tions, which make reference to better understanding

the logic of trust, the requisites for developing trust

relationships, and some aspects that managers and

subordinates should consider to increase trust

generation.

Business Ethics: A European Review

Volume 25 Number 4 October 2016

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