Trust Violation and Recovery Dynamics in the Context of Differential Supervisor-Subordinate Relationships: A Study of Public Service Employees

This article explores the process of trust violation and repair in differential supervisor-subordinate relationships by using systematic grounded theory techniques. The study aims to discover and categorize the types of trust violations that occur in high-quality versus low-quality supervisor-subordinate relationships, and to develop a theory of how these different types of violations are processed in both groups. One type of trust violation identified (unquestioning loyalty to maintain in-group status) in high-quality relationships, and two types of trust violations in low-quality relationships: (1) a follower’s unmet legitimate expectations, and (2) abuse of power. Rebuilding trust in high-quality relationships involves a two-stage process whereby the supervisor acknowledges a trust deficit, and re-establishes trust by taking substantive steps to provide additional support and attention to address subordinates’ concerns. In low-quality relationships, subordinates permanently lower their trust levels or even indulge in behaviors that remove chances of ever recreating trust. The findings add to the existing literature, and emphasize the need to study the issue of supervisor integrity and follower reactions in a non-United States context.