Thesis

An investigation of influential factors of leaders and followers trust relationships in UK SMEs: studies in assistive technology industry and mental health sector

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Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2024
Thesis identifier
  • T17045
Person Identifier (Local)
  • 201854563
Qualification Level
Qualification Name
Department, School or Faculty
Abstract
  • This thesis combines four aspects, individual characteristics, leadership and followership, exchanges and interaction, and external factors, to illustrate what factors could influence the trust relationships between leaders and followers in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Assistive Technology (AT) and mental health industries in the UK. The combination of these four aspects provides a comprehensive view to depict trust relationship influential factors between leaders and followers in the workplace. Furthermore, this thesis considers both leaders’ and followers’ opinions on building workplace trust relationships in order to describe trust on a dyadic level. Understanding dyadic trust in the workplace enables leaders and followers to recognise each other’s different demands and antecedents for establishing trust relationships. This thesis also sheds light on how to build trust in virtual teams. With the advent of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), the development of trust in virtual teams between leaders and followers could underpin effective leadership and assist successful online teamwork. Individual and focus group interviews were conducted with 22 SMEs, and 40 participants contributed valuable perspectives on building trust with their leader or followers. The first contribution of this thesis is a conceptual framework which enhances comprehension regarding the various elements that may influence trust relationships between leaders and followers in SMEs. This research finds several influential factors in trust relationships, which are summarised into four aspects: individual characteristics, leadership/followership styles, exchanges and interactions, and external factors. The second contribution is that findings reveal that leaders and followers place different weight on trust relationship influential factors, which develops organisational trust theory on a dyadic level. In terms of individual characteristics, leaders claim that integrity is necessary for a trustworthy follower, whereas followers believe that benevolence and integrity are characteristics of a trustworthy leader. In terms of exchanges and interactions, leaders propose that team diversity could facilitate trust relationships, whereas followers suggest that friendship could increase their trust in their leaders. The different attitudes of leaders and followers toward developing workplace trust relationships suggest that studies of trust require perspectives from both parties in a trust relationship. Therefore, the findings theoretically develop the trust research field on a dyadic level, meanwhile, this thesis provide suggestions for leaders and followers to practically establish trust relationships in the workplace in SMEs.
Advisor / supervisor
  • Cunningham, Ian
  • McCarthy, Tony
Resource Type
DOI
Date Created
  • 2023

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