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A System Cybernetic Approach to the Dynamics of Individual- and Organizational-Level Trust

Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, amalyao{at}cc.huji.ac.il

Kathleen Montgomery

Anderson Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Riverside, kmont{at}mail.ucr.edu

In this article, we argue that trust is a system-related concept and that it is a continuously evolving state of information gathering, processing, and feedback. Based on this argument, we demonstrate the usefulness of the conceptual framework of cybernetics to an understanding of the dynamics of developing and sustaining trust. We begin with some background information about the science of cybernetics and the basic principles relevant to this framework that enable a system to function effectively. We then use the principles of cybernetics to illustrate the dynamic nature of trust within the social system of a complex organization and externally between organizations in an environment. We summarize by relating our model to recent theoretical developments in the trust literature and by providing suggestions for future research using a cybernetic framework.

Key Words: cybernetics • dynamic equilibrium • systems • trust

Human Relations, Vol. 54, No. 8, 1045-1063 (2001)
DOI: 10.1177/0018726701548003


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