Organizational Communication and Trust in the Context of Technology Change

Abstract

Open communication and organizational trust are important factors in the context of organizational technology change. Although previous research has addressed the relationship between technology change and open communication, and issues concerning organizational trust and open communication, few investigations adequately address the interplay between all factors simultaneously. The relationship between perceptions of organizational trust and communication, as well as other organizational variables, were examined within the context of significant technology change in a division of a large federal agency. Perceptions of open communication during technology change were predicted from the organizational variables. The results show that organizational trust, supervisory leadership style, workgroup cohesion, and acceptance of change were significant predictors for open communication. Results support the contention that, if issues and concerns related to open communication and organizational trust are neglected, particularly in times of change, they may undermine efforts that would otherwise facilitate a smooth transition. Identifying the importance of these relationships for the division allows management to concentrate on areas most likely to enhance the transition process as the organization undergoes technology change.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 1999
Accession Number
ADA370769

Entities

People

  • Clara A. Williams
  • Jody A. Worley
  • Kurt M. Joseph
  • Lawrence L. Bailey
  • Richard C. Thompson

Organizations

  • Federal Aviation Administration

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircrafts
  • Aviation Medicine
  • Coefficients
  • Cohesion
  • Leadership
  • New York
  • Organizational Structure
  • Perception
  • Psychology
  • Regression Analysis
  • Social Psychology
  • Standards
  • Supervisors
  • Surveys
  • Transitions
  • United States

Readers

  • Economics
  • Organizational Psychology.
  • Team-Based Human-Centered Cognitive Task Decision Making and Information Performance.