Manager Personal Performance And The Relationship Of Trust Research

The first study of trust dates back to 1950s, when an American psychologist, named Deutsch, researched the interpersonal trust in the context of prisoner dilemma. Then, the subject of trust permeates through many disciplines, including sociology, economics and management. There are two branches in trust theory. One focuses on the building and sustaining of trust---what brings the trust and what causes the betrayal of trust. Another one concerns the functions of trust, which can lower transaction costs, facilitate interpersonal relationships, and enhance manager-subordinate relationships, etc.Following the route of study, this paper identifies and analyzes three kinds of trust in organizational settings for managers; explains how trust develops with the superior, the subordinate, and peer managers of the same level. On the basis, I explore the 360 degree model of trust and improvement of managers'performance. The model discusses the relationships between three kinds of trust and managers'performance. The performance of managers comprises task performance, contextual performance and management performance. I consider that every kind of trust has a positive effect on different dimensions of managers'performance through some intermediary factors, which include the support of superior, the subordinate's operation in coordination and the cooperation and information sharing with other managers. Finally, the applications of model in practice are discussed.