The Trickle-Down Effects Of Perceived Trustworthiness On Subordinate Performance
Keywords
Performance; Social learning theory; Trickle down; Trust; Trustworthiness
Abstract
We study when and why perceptions of trustworthiness trickle down the organizational hierarchy to influence the performance of subordinates. Building on social learning theory, we argue that when supervisors perceive their managers as trustworthy, subordinates are more likely to also perceive their supervisor as trustworthy, which in turn enhances subordinate performance. We further argue that this trickle-down effect of trustworthiness perceptions emerges especially when the manager invites the supervisor to participate in decision-making. Finally, we propose that social learning processes that lead to supervisors exhibiting more trusting behavior toward their subordinates mediate this trickle-down effect. We find support for our predictions across one multisource field study (Study 1) and two experiments (Studies 2 and 3) that both use a yoked design. This research represents the first attempt to examine trickle-down effects related to trustworthiness, its impact on performance, and the mediating mechanisms by which those effects emerge. This research also provides the first empirical evidence about the role that social learning processes play in explaining trickle-down processes.
Publication Date
12-1-2018
Publication Title
Journal of Applied Psychology
Volume
103
Issue
12
Number of Pages
1335-1357
Document Type
Article
Personal Identifier
scopus
DOI Link
https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000339
Copyright Status
Unknown
Socpus ID
85050768442 (Scopus)
Source API URL
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85050768442
STARS Citation
De Cremer, David; van Dijke, Marius; Schminke, Marshall; De Schutter, Leander; and Stouten, Jeroen, "The Trickle-Down Effects Of Perceived Trustworthiness On Subordinate Performance" (2018). Scopus Export 2015-2019. 8646.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/scopus2015/8646