Communication · Executive Insight Brief · 216
Trust the manager. Distrust the system.
Separate confidence in the immediate supervisor from confidence in the organization—and from the different OTI bearing the same name
Premise
Nyhan and Marlowe’s Organizational Trust Inventory is a 12-item self-report measure of trust in two workplace targets. Eight items address the immediate supervisor and four address the organization. The distinction separates personal from system-level trust instead of treating “organizational trust” as one undifferentiated attitude.
For executives, the two referents expose problems that an omnibus average can hide. Employees may trust a supervisor’s judgment and follow-through while distrusting organizational systems, or respect the institution while lacking confidence in a manager. The result describes perceived confidence; it is not an audit of objective trustworthiness.
What the model is: Organizational Trust Inventory (Nyhan & Marlowe) in Knowledge →
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Editorial orientation · Family
Tool
In this series, Tool names the editorial family primarily used to act on, examine, measure or organize communication. It includes instruments, methods, practices, protocols, codes and institutional arrangements. Membership does not certify effectiveness, portability or safe use in every setting.
Editorial orientation · Category
Measurement & Assessment Instruments
Produces measures, scores, profiles or assessments through defined items, observations or measurement rules. The entry identifies what is measured and the conditions governing interpretation.