trust, innovation and weak ties

8/12/2019 Trust, innovation and weak ties

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TRUST, WEAKTIESANDINNOVATION

Andrew Maxwell Ph.D.

May 19th, 2014


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Increasingly sourced from, andshared with, weak ties1

Managed through informal relation-

ships and incomplete contracts2

Requires new approach to managingrelationship risk

3

Innovation

We discuss how to enable organizations to catalyze innovation by

changing how they manage relationships from reducing risk

through controls to managing risk through trust


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10:15 Introductions

10:25 Linking trust, weak ties and innovation

10:45 Individual reflection

11:00 Review of online exercise

11:05 Examples

11:10 Group report back

11:30 Feedback and discussion 11:55 Wrap up and next steps

12:00 Lunch

Agenda


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Close working relationships Frequent communication

Co-ordinated management

Aligned objectives

Overlapping knowledge / experience

Strong ties are the traditional source ofinnovative ideas and idea validation

Strong Ties are characterized by:


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Informal relationships Infrequent communication

Limited co-ordination of objectives

Complementary knowledge and experience

Increasingly recognized as the source of new

knowledge

As a consequence, weak ties are becoming an

increasingly important source of innovation

Weak Ties are characterized by:


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Is a willingness to be vulnerable to the actions ofanother party, without any direct means of

controlling their behaviors

It contrasts with contracts (controls) that specify:

outcome expectations and what each party will do

how performance measured, and consequences

Facilitates managing incomplete contracts

Reduces transaction costs

Encourages multiple simultaneous relationships

Accelerates knowledge exchange and actions

Trust


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Reduces concerns about misappropriation ormisuse arising from knowledge exchange

Improves knowledge sharing, enabling rapid

identification of relevant opportunities Reducing the verification costsassociated with

knowledge exchange

Facilitating higher rates of knowledge absorption,increasing likelihood of use / resource deployment

Limits concerns about unanticipatedoutcomes

Building trust based relationships withthose with whom you have weak ties:


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Challenging for organizations to reduce their

reliance on contracts to manage relationship risk

However, controls may inhibit relationship forming

Perceived to be risky to rely on trust

Relies on individuals ability to assess trustworthiness

Need to discuss risks of not forming relationships

Transforming organization to rely ontrust, rather controls, is challenging

TrustControl


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Trust develops over time

Initial trust level based on trust proxy (i.e. background)

Subsequently trust levels based on behaviors in

development of a dyadic (two way) relationship

Individuals audit manifestations of trust behaviors

that build, damage or violate trust

Organizational design and interaction context

influence individual trust behaviors

Specific trust behaviors stimulate trust responses by

other party that can build or damage trust

Becoming a relationship trust auditor


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Lewicki and Bunker (1995)

Level of trust changes over time

Knowledge

based trust

Competence

based trust

Identification

based trust


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Behavioral manifestations that build trust

Dimensions

Trustworth

y

Consistency Displays of behavior that confirm previous promisesBenevolence Exhibits concern about well-being of others

Alignment Actions confirms shared values and/or objectives

Dimensions

Trustworth

y



Capability Competence Displays relevant technical and/or business ability

Experience Demonstrates relevant work/training experience

Judgment Confirms ability to make accurate and objective decisions

Dimensions

Trustworth

y



Capab

ility Competence Displays relevant technical and/or business ability



Tr

usting

Disclosure Shows vulnerability by sharing confidential information

Reliance Willingness to be vulnerable through task delegation

Receptiveness Demonstrates coachability and willingness to change

Dimensions

Trustworth

y



Capab

ility Competence Displays relevant technical and/or business ability



Trusting

Disclosure Shows vulnerability by sharing confidential information

Reliance Willingness to be vulnerable through task delegation

Receptiveness Demonstrates coachability and willingness to change

Co

mmunication

Accuracy Provides truthful and timely information

Explanation Explains details & consequence of information provided

OpennessOpen to new ideas or new ways of doing things


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Trust Mistrust

Suspicion DistrustIntent

alignswithbenevolence

Action dont meet expectations

Trust damaging

Trustviolatin

g

Trust, building, damaging & violating


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10:15 Introductions

10:25 Linking trust, weak ties and innovation

10:45 Individual reflection

11:00 Review of online exercise

11:05 Examples

11:10 Group discussion

11:30 Feedback to workshop and discussion 11:55 Wrap up and next steps

12:00 Lunch

Agenda


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Identify trust behaviors manifest by weaktiesthat have built or damaged trust

1

Rank these behaviorsfrom building trustto damaging trust2

In groups, discuss key behaviors anddiscuss the impact of organizational design3

Present insights to the workshop, to helpidentify organizational implications4

Workshop activities

Exercise 1/2 as individuals, exercise 3/4 as groups


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Manifestations

Build Trust Damage Trust Violate Trust

Trustworth

yConsistency

Displays of behavior that

confirm previous promises

Shows inconsistencies between

words and actions

Fails to keep promises and

agreements

BenevolenceExhibit concern about well-being of others

Shows self-interest ahead ofothers well being

Takes advantage of others whenthey are vulnerable

AlignmentActions confirms shared valuesand/or objectives

Exhibits behaviors sometimesinconsistent with declared values

Demonstrates lack of shared valuesand willingness to compromise

Capability

Competence Displays relevant technicaland/or business ability

Shows lack of context specificability

Misrepresents ability by claiming tohave non-existent competence

ExperienceEvidence of relevant workand/or training experience

Relies on inappropriateexperience to make decision

Misrepresents experience

JudgmentConfirms ability to makeaccurate and informeddecisions

Relies inappropriately on thirdparties or erroneous information

Judges others without giving themthe opportunity to explain

Trus

ting

DisclosureShows vulnerability by sharingconfidential information

Shares confidential informationwithout thinking ofconsequences

Shares confidential informationlikely to cause damage

Reliance

Shows willingness to be

vulnerable through delegation

Reluctant to delegate, or

introduces controls onsubordinates performances

Is unwilling to rely on

representation by others, ordismisses participation

ReceptivenessDemonstrates coachabilityand willingness to change

Postpones implementation ofnew ideas or deflecting

Refutes feedback or blames others

omm

unication

AccuracyProvides truthful and timelyinformation

Unintentionallymisrepresents ordelays information transmission

Deliberately misrepresents orconceals critical information

ExplanationExplains details andconsequence of informationprovided

Ignores request for explanations Dismisses request for explanations

OpennessOpen to new ideas or newwa s of doin thin s

Does not listen or ignores newideas

Shuts down or undermines newideas

Behavioral Trust Dimensions


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How do trust behaviors build, or damage trust

Online exercise http://padlet.com/american_rob/2dvi1f2uo3

Reflect on your own experiences (past 6 months),

specifically with weak ties linked to new initiatives

Were they trust building or damaging?

Mark scale and provide an example of each behavior

Think about: why these behaviors built or damaged trust

What you, or your organization, might change

Bring your insights back to the group

Individual exercise (trust behaviors)

O i ti l T t Di ti
http://padlet.com/american_rob/2dvi1f2uo3http://padlet.com/american_rob/2dvi1f2uo3http://padlet.com/american_rob/2dvi1f2uo3http://padlet.com/american_rob/2dvi1f2uo3http://padlet.com/american_rob/2dvi1f2uo3http://padlet.com/american_rob/2dvi1f2uo3http://padlet.com/american_rob/2dvi1f2uo3


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Organizational Trust Diagnostic

Trust Dimension: TRUSTWORTHY

Think about the behaviors of those in your organization with whom you have weak ties. Place an X on

the line to represent where you think their behavior falls on each trust dimension. Provide an example.

DISPLAYS OF BEHAVIORS

THAT BUILD TRUST


THAT DAMAGE TRUST

Confirming previous

promises

Exhibiting concern about

the well-being of others

Demonstrating shared

values and/or objectives

Name:__________________________ Organization:_________________________________ Email:________________________________

CONSISTENCY

BENEVOLENCE

ALIGNMENT

Showing inconsistencies

between words and actions

Demonstrating self-interest

ahead of others well-being

Exhibiting behaviours that are

inconsistent with declared values

Would you be willing to be contacted so that we can do further research on this topic? YES/NO Andrew Maxwell

Example:

Example:

Example:

O i ti l T t Di ti


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Trust Dimension: CAPABILITY




THAT BUILD TRUST


THAT DAMAGE TRUST

Displaying relevant ability

Providing evidence of

relevant experience

Demonstrating accurate &

well considered decisions


COMPETENCE

EXPERIENCE

JUDGMENT

Showing a lack of context-

specific ability

Relying on inappropriate

experience to make decisions

Relying inappropriately on third

parties or erroneous information


Example:

Example:

Example:

O i ti l T t Di ti


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Trust Dimension: TRUSTING




THAT BUILD TRUST


THAT DAMAGE TRUST

Showing vulnerability by sharing

confidential information

Showing willingness to be

vulnerable through delegating

Demonstrating coachability

and willingness to change


DISCLOSURE

RELIANCE

RECEPTIVENESS

Sharing confidential information

without thinking of consequences

Being reluctant to delegate, or

introducing controls on

subordinates' performance

Postponing implementation of new

ideas or deflecting


Example:

Example:

Example:

Organi ational Tr st Diagnostic


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Trust Dimension: COMMUNICATION




THAT BUILD TRUST


THAT DAMAGE TRUST

Providing truthful and

timely information

Explaining details and

consequence of information

provided

Being open to new ideas or

new ways of doing things


ACCURACY

EXPLANATION

OPENNESS

Unintentionally misrepresenting

or delaying information

transmission

Ignoring requests for

explanations

Not listening or ignoring new

ideas


Example:

Example:

Example:


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Trust behaviors are influenced by:

Individual personality, experience and context Corporate culture and organizational design

Organizational design fosters or constrains

manifestations of trust behaviors

Are there aspects of your organization design that

cause the positive or negative behaviors observed: Rewards systems, recruitment, recognition

Workload prioritization and promotion Organization structures, policies and procedures

Leadership, culture and consequences

Bring the group reflection back to the workshop

Group exercise


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Increasing reliance on weak ties requires trust

displaying and trust auditing behaviors

Trust behaviors similar across different relationships

Trust behaviors a function of individual and context

Controls can damage or enable trust

Good organizational design promotes trust behaviors

Remove controls that constrain trust behaviors

Understanding role of trust, how it is manifest, and

organizational implications important steps in

leveraging weak ties to catalyze innovation

Wrap up slide


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Andrew Maxwell

Fox School of Business

Temple University

[email protected]

416 433 9805

http://www.slideshare.net/AndrewMaxwellPhD/iri-conferencev2

Thank you
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

trust, innovation and weak ties

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