Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Charter For Smarter Hats: How Team Charters Dynamically Improve Trust And Emotions In Human-Agent Teams, Dan Manh Nguyen

Theses and Dissertations

Although human-agent teams have received significant attention from both practitioners and researchers in recent years, human attitudes and emotions towards agents present collaborative barriers that reduce effective teaming. Borrowing from literature on traditional human team interventions, this study examines how team charters may be leveraged to set up better trust relationships and emotional states over time, and how these key emergent states influence both objective performance scores and subjective performance ratings. Using data from 43 individuals who participated in a search-and-rescue simulation with four agent teammates, discontinuous growth modeling was used to examine differences in trust and upsetness over time …

Experimentally Examining Status And Initial Trust, Valerie Kristen Barron

Theses and Dissertations

Trust is a fundamental component of our social relationships. Whether we are interacting with our strong social ties, like family and friends, or complete strangers, there is a degree of trust that we must place in the other person. Because trust is essential to our continued interactions it is important that we learn how this trust forms as well as how it is influenced by various social factors. This paper utilizes an experimental approach to examining the relationship between status and initial trust. Using a two condition experiment with 182 participants, this study found that the presence of a single …

Securely Ever After: Attachment,Trust, And Commitment In Married Adult Adoptees, Jill P. Burgon

Theses and Dissertations

Past research suggests that adoptees face a higher risk of insecure attachment and encounter more challenges related to trust and commitment in their romantic relationships compared to nonadopted individuals. This study examines the association between adoption status and marital security among newly married couples, with a focus on the potential moderating role of gender. Using data from a representative sample of newly married couples in the United States (n = 2,110), the relationship between adoption status and multiple measures of marital security were measured using OLS regression. Findings indicate that, during the early stages of marriage, adult adoptees exhibited comparable …

Measuring Citizens’ Acceptance And Usage Of E-Government Services: Applying The Technology Acceptance Model (Tam) In Egypt, Rana Khamis

Theses and Dissertations

The significance of public services delivery has been realized by all governments worldwide. An overarching tool to enhance government productivity and enabling citizen-centric public services, especially in developed countries, has proven to be the electronic government (e-Government).

While many scholars focused on the supply side of e-government, few researches studied e-government adoption from the citizens’ perspective. To contribute to filling this research gap, this study aimed at measuring the perceptions of citizens towards the adoption of e-government services in Egypt. Using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the main objective of this research was gaining a better understanding of the factors affecting …

Trust And Psychological Empowerment In Global Virtual Teams: Quantitative Ethnography Research, Yujung Seol

Theses and Dissertations

Although global virtual teams are becoming more commonplace because of their many benefits, they are also challenged by a lack of interpersonal and emotional trust between team members. Based on this problem, this study adopted a quantitative ethnographic methodology to explore team members' perceptions of the relationship between trust and psychological empowerment components, such as the meaning of work, competence, self-determination, and impact, in global virtual teams. In addition, this study examined how the team members' perceptions of trust and psychological empowerment differ based on their attributes. To achieve this research purpose, the researcher collected data via semi-structured interviews with …

Overcoming The Space Between Us: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach To Bridge Building, Kate Hanisian

Theses and Dissertations

Facilitators in organization and community contexts (and other practitioners whose job it is to move groups of people forward together) are faced with the undercurrent of human conflict every day in meetings and gatherings around the world; often with limited access to an overarching tool to help prevent and manage conflict in most settings. The purpose of this paper was to uncover patterns in bridge building practices so that anyone who finds themselves in the role of facilitating conversations between people who are very different or do not like each other might lean into a set of practices that can …

Examining The Integrative Impacts Of Trust And Distrust Sub-Dimensions On Employee Discretionary Behavior, Alexandra Silverman

Theses and Dissertations

While trust and distrust in subordinate-supervisor relationships have been studied and linked to numerous positive and negative discretionary workplace outcomes, research has largely overlooked the impact of their sub-dimensions, competence and intent, in these relationships. Furthermore, although there has been research noting the impact of emotional exhaustion on discretionary behaviors such as OCB and CWB, limited research has examined its impact on the relationship between trust/distrust in supervisors and the discretionary behaviors, as well as those pertaining to the sub-dimensions of trust and distrust and the behavioral outcomes. The current study analyzed a sample of 301 employees in the United …

A Conceptual Framework For How Trust And Humility Inform The Perception Of Leadership Among Rwandan Cooperative Members, Jennifer M. Jukanovich

Theses and Dissertations

In an era in which people must work together across borders to address complex issues, there is an unfortunate and unprecedented decline in trust across the globe. Humility is known to be a predictor of greater trust between followers and leaders, but there are few studies connecting the two constructs and very limited studies from Sub-Saharan Africa. This qualitative ethnographic case study conducted interviews among Rwandan cooperative members to ask how trust and humility inform their perception of leadership. Rwanda has one of the fastest growing GDPs in Africa but is still deeply affected by a breakdown in trust in …

Essays On Institutions, Trust And Beliefs, Matthew Harvey

Theses and Dissertations

Institutions play a key role in development and output. Much of the literature on institutions has looked at the effects of institutions on development and output rather than the effects of institutions on individual behavior. This dissertation explores the effect of institutional stimuli on individual behavior. The first study explores the effectiveness of grassroots monitoring as opposed to top-down monitoring as a means of deterring corruption. Using Olken (2007), we argue that the presence of effective top-down monitoring alternatives can actually undermine pro-social behavior among individuals by crowding out their incentives to monitor. We find that in villages with both …

Communion, Agency, And Authenticity: How Gendered Expectations Influence Trust In Leaders, Allyson Day Pagan

Theses and Dissertations

While there are a great many benefits to increasing female numbers in leadership positions, organizations still struggle to find a place for women leaders. More research is required to examine leader skills and mechanisms through which they operate in order to facilitate women’s empowerment. The purpose of the current study was to examine leadership skills (political skill), behaviors (impression management and emotion management) and their outcomes (authentic leadership and trust in leader) in the context of gender. This study examined interpersonal emotion management as an increasingly important construct for leadership and social influence, incorporating it as an outcome of political …

Morals ‘Trump’ Party: Make America Cooperate Again, Jered Abernathy

Theses and Dissertations

Conflict between Democrats and Republicans is a central component of the contemporary American political system. Negative feelings and discrimination based on political orientation are at an all-time high, leading otherwise similar Americans to deeply distrust one another. Social identity theory provides a framework for not only understanding how this distrust between partisans persists, but how it may be negated. This study builds on recent work on moral judgments and trust games to create situations to increase trust across party lines. Using an online-experimental design, this study investigates the effects of two types of moral judgments on trust building: 1) moral …

An Evaluation Of A Transorganizational Development Process Promoting Positive Social Change, Erin Hall

Theses and Dissertations

Humanity's largest and most complex social problems are not going to be adequately addressed by one organization working alone. This study addressed two research questions: (1) what ingredients enable successful transorganization collaboration seeking positive social change? and (2) what roles does trust play? Using a case study methodology, participants and observers were interviewed. The data was analyzed using Ainsworth and Feyerhem's diagnostic model of transorganzational systems and Vangen and Huxham's trust-building and trust-sustaining theory. The findings emphasize the interdependence of transorganizational system (TS) design components and, in particular, of trust with each of the components.

Why We Use A New Currency: The Role Of Trust And Control In Explaining The Perception And Usage Of Bitcoin, Joseph B. Walton

Theses and Dissertations

Social media, e-commerce, global peer-to-peer technologies, and the near ubiquity of computers and smartphones allow people to interact, trust, and exchange value across traditional socio-economic control boundaries and over significant distances. Since the creation in 2008 of a new cryptographic currency system called Bitcoin, a financial technology market sector of about 250 billion USD has rapidly emerged, raising questions about the nature of currency in society and whether new types of non-national money are warranted and viable. This debate has pitted heterodox economic interests against orthodox economic interests while it has rekindled interest in theories that view money as a …

What Happens When Cross-Sector Partnerships Are Mandated? Analyzing Trust Through A Transaction Cost Approach, Vanessa Hubbard Rastberger Dr

Theses and Dissertations

Cross-sector partnerships that combine the perspectives and needs of public, private, and nonprofit sectors have been used to address public policy challenges. Research has shown that trust and reputation among partners play an important role in the performance of partnerships. Trust has been positively associated with the reduction of transaction costs of partnerships, and therefore, this study used a Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) approach as the theoretical framework.

Some partnerships are volitional while others are the results of legal or other mandates. Does this volitional or non-volitional (mandated) status affect how collaboration is perceived? For instance, will collaboration and trust …

Considering Leadership Style, Trust, And Uncertainty Avoidance On Leader Member Exchange, Alexander Michael Dechurch

Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted to further research the impact of leadership style on leader-member exchange (LMX), and to investigate the role of individual uncertainty avoidance and trust on LMX when paired with the two leadership styles (transactional and transformational leadership). Three samples were collected. Sample 1 included 32 dyadic undergraduate student and leader pairs from a midsize southern private university; Sample 2 included 118 leaders recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk (Mturk); Sample 3 included 141 followers recruited through Mturk. Results indicated positive relationships between follower and leader perceptions of transactional and transformational leadership style and leadermember exchange. Moreover, there are …

Effectiveness Of Exceeding Expectations And Demonstration Of Concerns For Repairing Trust In Collaborative Relationships, Kyi Phyu Nyein

Theses and Dissertations

Interpersonal trust in collaborative relationships has been found to lead to positive outcomes, such as satisfaction, perceived leadership effectiveness, teamwork, and successful organizational change (Fulmer & Gelfand, 2012). However, trust can decline naturally or can be broken due to unmet expectations as trust involves expectations of positive intentions from another individual or positive outcomes from the relationship (Bhattacharya, Devinney, & Pillutla, 1998). In order to continue and achieve successful collaboration, trust must be repaired using different trust repair strategies such as providing apology or denying the responsibility. The current research examines exceeding expectations and demonstration of concerns as two understudied …

The Mothers Of Family Place: The Role Of Trust And Support Among Homeless-Mother Families, Heather L. Duncan

Theses and Dissertations

This research examines the dynamics of network exchange and trust experience in becoming homeless and the influence of these conditions on life in the shelter for women who are homeless with their children. The plight of homeless mothers in twenty-first century Chicago echo those of poor mothers in the eighteenth century, with families and singles alike enduring inadequate affordable housing, both in quantity and quality. So too did the provision of poor relief prove inadequate throughout the past two hundred years. I examined theories of trust and network and exchange theory, challenging the adequacy of their application to homeless families. …

Cultural Values And The Effectiveness Of Trust Repair Strategies In Collaborative Relationships, Kyi Phyu Nyein

Theses and Dissertations

Interpersonal trust is a positive expectation that an individual has regarding another individual, and such positive expectation leads to behaviors and outcomes desirable for individuals, groups, and organizations. Despite these benefits and positive outcomes of trust, it can be damaged or broken, and to continue the relationship or effectively work together again, individuals must repair the broken trust. Very little research has been conducted on trust violation and repair in the cross-cultural context, and as more organizations and businesses become global, the influence of culture must be considered in developing and maintaining trusting relationships as well as repairing broken trust …

People Who Live Unsheltered: The Role Of Trust In The Bond Component Of Their Working Alliances, Candice Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

An estimated 240,000 individuals are unsheltered, sleeping on the street, under abandoned buildings, in ditches and fields, and other locations in communities each night. Using semi-structured interviews, I sought to understand the nature of the working alliances of people living unsheltered and the role of trust in the bond component of those working alliances. Findings highlight that people who live unsheltered engage in alliances with either strangers or acquaintances to complete a simple task, which often results in the attainment of a basic item or assistance. In some but not all alliances trust plays a role. Trust alliances in-volve vulnerability …

We're Friends Right? Dialogical Strategy Effects In Csr Facebook Posts On Perceived Organizational Trust And Authenticity, Casey J. Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations

A study examining the effects of public relations' dialogical communication strategies on stakeholder's perceptions of trust and authenticity of organizations was conducted. The experiment was tested on organizational Facebook posts broadcasting a corporate social responsibility message. While "Human Voice" had no affect on perceived trustworthiness or authenticity, Dialogical Loop was found to significantly effect stakeholder perceptions of authenticity, but not trustworthiness. Due to the presence Dialogical Loop in the form of replies to user comments, users perceived the organization as less authentic. Ruminations about possible implications for public relations theory and practice on social media as well as recommendations for …

Measuring Predictors Of Groupthink: Instrument Development And Validation, Richard Walter Baptist

Theses and Dissertations

Individuals in any organization will often find themselves working in groups, either by force, necessity, or through volunteering. Group work is something everyone must do, and learning how to make the best of every situation and group opportunity can be the difference between a positive or negative experience. This study explores the communication within decision-making groups where a poor outcome or decision occurred. By examining the concept of groupthink, we can enhance our understanding of the factors influencing the group decision-making process and how communication can benefit organizations. This specific study expands the current body of knowledge on groupthink by …

Surf's Up: Communicative Aspects Of Online Trust-Building Via Reducing Uncertainty Online In Couchsurfing, Maura Rae Cherney

Theses and Dissertations

Couchsurfing is a website community allowing members to offer and receive travel accommodations, with members, typically connecting online before meeting offline. Risky behaviors associated with Couchsurfing require members to have great amounts of trust for the other parties involved. Because trust can be achieved through uncertainty reduction and considering the predicted outcome value, the present study seeks to determine how members seek information online in order to trust other members. An online questionnaire was circulated to Couchsurfing hosts to report about what website features provide the most essential information to trust other members and, within those features, what additionally members …

The Effects Of Mental Illness On Trust Between Military Veterans, Kristina Marie Reihl

Theses and Dissertations

Service members have reported the perception that seeking treatment for, and/or having a mental illness will cause a loss of trust between a service member and his/her leaders and peers (Nash, Silva, and Litz, 2009; Hoge et al, 2004). This study aimed to determine if the presence of a mental illness affects the trust between service members and determine whether other variables moderated this relationship. Using social media and Mechanical Turk an internet participant-recruiting site operated by Amazon, data were collected from 220 military Veterans. Participants were assessed using a research developed Demographics Questionnaire, the Combat Exposure Scale, The Unit …

Infidelity And Forgiveness: Therapists' Views On Reconciliation And Restoration Of Trust Following Disclosure Of Infidelity, Miranda Mae Goldie

Theses and Dissertations

Infidelity is one of the most prevalent presenting problems in relational therapy. There are many conceptualizations of the healing process following infidelity and suggested interventions and treatment plans. Forgiveness is an essential part of relationship growth and healing interpersonal hurts. Reconciliation is relationship repair that can accompany forgiveness. In addition, restoring trust is essential to reconciliation. Means to accomplish rebuilding trust must be established. This study seeks to expand understanding of the treatment of infidelity specifically on the topics of forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration of trust through disclosure. The Forgiveness vs. Reconciliation and Trust Scale (FvRTS) was developed as a …

Power And Trust/Transparency: A Force To Be Reckoned With When Applied To Internal Strategic Communication In The Department Of Defense, Amanda Janette Seeley

Theses and Dissertations

This Master's thesis sets out to learn why internal strategic communication is not improving as quickly as one might hope in one office of the Department of Defense. Many articles support the need for improved internal strategic communication. But during the author's summer internship, she noted the communications team struggled to make this happen. The author therefore wondered why these communication professionals were not successful. What is hindering their success? Two earlier research papers showed trust, transparency, leadership, diversity and conflict were all connected to internal strategic communication- either positively or negatively. But one new theme arose from these studies: …

Pornography Viewing As Attachment Trauma In Pair-Bond Relationships-A Theoretical Model Of Mechanisms., Spencer T. Zitzman

Theses and Dissertations

Online sexual activities, including pornography use, have drastically increased in recent years. Many studies have examined the impact that pornography use can have on marriages and families. One of the key findings has been that pornography use can negatively impact trust in relationships. This study focused on understanding the mechanisms involved when a husband's pornography use negatively impacts his marital relationship and his wife's emotional well-being. Through qualitative analysis of interviews of 14 wives who received therapy because of their husband's pornography use, the analytic team found (1) a breakdown of expectations and assumptions central to the marriage, (2) a …