Is interpersonal trust a necessary condition for organisational learning?

• Main Author: HOE, Siu Loon
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2007
• Subjects: Organisational Learning; Knowledge Acquisition; Knowledge Dissemination; Interpersonal Trust; Databases and Information Systems; Management Information Systems; Organization Development
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/sis_research/5171; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/sis_research/article/6174/viewcontent/Is_interpersonal_trust_a_necessary_condition_for_organisational_learning.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

The organisational behaviour and management literature has devoted a lot attention on various factors affecting organisational learning. While there has been much work done to examine trust in promoting organisational learning, there is a lack of consensus on the specific type of trust involved. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of interpersonal trust in promoting organisational learning and propose a research agenda to test the extent of interpersonal trust on organisational learning. This paper contributes to the existing organisational learning literature by specifying a specific form of trust, interpersonal trust, which promotes organisational learning and proposing a future research direction. The paper is organised as follows: firstly, a common conceptualisation of organisational learning is revisited. Secondly, the existing literature on trust reviewed and salient points on how interpersonal trust enhances organisational learning discussed. Finally, a research agenda to test the extent of interpersonal trust on organisational learning is being set out.