**3.3. Clarification of concepts concerning organizational trust**

weaknesses of the other in meeting the organizational goals or to work against each other interests in the workplace [21]. It can be said that the presence of trust in organization raises the bar of cooperative behavior between employees and employers [5]; or co-workers which invariably reduces differences over the distribution and utilization of scare resources in the organization.

Organizational trust is an essential factor of all relationships (formal and informal) that exist within an organization [22]. It is an indispensable component that sustains and defines the nature of employee-employer relationships and organizational effectiveness [23, 24]. It also has significant effects on communication, work behaviors, job performance, satisfaction, organizational commitment and strategy for solving organizational issues [24, 25]. Moreover, trust in an organization fastens friendships [26]; eases bargaining and negotiation process [27]; decreases transaction costs in inter firm exchanges [28]; and even eliminates international political conflicts [29]. It enables employee's retention, collaboration, and exchange of innovation as well as lessening of risk factors involve in taking an action or working cooperatively in achieving organizational goal [23, 30, 31]. For instance, empirical studies conducted on the importance of trust showed that when people find themselves in an atmosphere that trust is present, they feel secure, share their ideas and express their feelings with others in the process of working together for a common goal [24, 30, 31]. More so, organizational trust promotes employees' participation, coordination, delegation and supervision of responsibility in an organization. It breeds employees' transparency and accountability to the management of an organization. Finally, it facilitates maintenance of good organizational culture, interpersonal

Hence, organizational trust is an essential tool for managing organizational conflict.

**3.1. The importance of trust in an organization**

relationship and harmonious co-existence in an organization.

**organization**

40 Organizational Conflict

These factors are:

management of the organization.

**3.2. Factors responsible for the development of organizational trust in an** 

According to [31], managers or employers need to build trust in every organization but most employers or managers in today's organizations are faced with the challenge of how to develop trust between employees and employers or among employees [31]. In this regard, an attempt is made here to identify some factors that can bring about trust in an organization.

**1. Shared Values**: Organizational trust can be achieved by implementing policies and practices that increases competitiveness of an organization while simultaneously advancing

**2. Openness**: The extent to which people who works in organization share accurate, reliable, and complete information in line with what, how, when and where operations or work activities are taken places or to be performed promote trust among the employees and

**3. Autonomy**: The degree to which individual employee is allowed to carry out his/her duties efficiently and effectively without any form of interference from within and outside the

the economic and social condition in the communities in which it operates.

organization. This contributes to the level of trust in the organization.

A brief description or meaning of some terms that are used in the present discourse is necessary at this point for proper understanding of different aspects of organizational trust.

**Ability to keep promises**: This is the willingness of a party to fulfill certain action, agreement, or promises in order to foster cordial relationship with other party [32].

**Benevolence:** This is the extent to which a party is believed to want to do good to the other party due to some specific attachments and not because of egocentric profit motive [33].

**Cooperation**: This is a process whereby a party work in support of the other party based on the thinking or probability that the corroboration of both parties will produce expected or desirable benefits [32].

**Confidence**: This is a kind of believe in the words and actions of an individual or a group assign to perform certain task or action in favor of other group or individuals [33].

**Integrity**: This is the perception that both parties (trustor and trustee) adheres to a set of principles that are mutually agreed upon or finds acceptable [33].

**Predictability**: This is a situation in which party estimate the behavior or action of the other party in order to reduce uncertainty that may arise from the behavior [32].

**Risk taking**: This is the willingness of a party to be vulnerable or assume risk situation based on the relationship with other party [32, 33].

To further expand our understanding of the development of trust in an organization, we will examine Lewicki and Bunker Model of Interpersonal Trust.
