TRUST: Can’t Go the Distance Without It

Trust is a resource any group benefits from; it reduces our uncertainty concerning a particular person or group.

We can distinguish two types of trust at work: trust in a person’s good intent and trust in his competence. Both types are welcome. Moreover, the more complex the work, the higher the demand for these types. When performing complex work involving two or more people, trust saves time on control routines and ensures that the work is approached most effectively.

Trust is intricately linked with communication, a powerful tool to reduce uncertainty. We have developed numerous strategies to foster trust in others. For instance, certification is a form of communication that establishes trust in a person’s competence by providing tangible proof of their ability to perform specific tasks.

Scarification serves the same purpose: one can trust the scarred individual as able to tolerate the pain. Much ritualized communication in human societies deals with signals generated to establish trust.

{GROUPS: A PARAMEDIC APPROACH, EXPERT, HETEROGENEITY, EXPERT VS. PROFESSIONAL, INFORMATION ASYMMETRY}