How power differences shape interpersonal trust processes

Organizational members are more satisfi ed and perform better in organizations where they trust each other, and therefore, extant academic research has widely studied how trust is fostered in interpersonal relations. Interpersonal relations within organizations, however, are often characterized by power differences – so to properly understand trust in the workplace, we have to consider how power differences shape interpersonal trust processes. The fi rst empirical paper focuses on howpower differences infl uence the trust-building process, showing that beyond a certain level of helping, increasing help no longer builds more trust, especially for lower-power individuals in organizations. In addition, the chapter shows that maintaining cooperative relationships depends on understanding what others perceive as fair, which is also infl uenced by power differences. The second empirical paper shows that accurately understanding the extent to which one is trusted is essential for effective collaboration. This chapter also shows that power differences increase the likelihood of misunderstandings about other people’s thoughts. Finally, the third paper in this dissertation makes a methodological contribution by revealing and addressing several shortcomings in how moderation in response surface analysis is assessed.