Trust in the Organisations of Modernity and the Role of Intermediates in Times of Change from a Socially Sustainable Perspective

Abstract

Trust is one of the key components for a positive and motivating working environment in the perpetual reorganizational processes in organisations. This paper examines cornerstones which are essential to providing a trustworthy climate particularly under constantly changing working conditions from a psychological perspective. As a basic assumption and framework of the discussion, social sustainability in organisations is introduced as a normative goal, which cannot be achieved without the existence of an organisational climate that addresses human needs for orientation, security, planning reliability, comprehensibility and human acceptance, especially in times of rapid changes. Furthermore, the importance of incorporating ‘mindful’ considerations into all organisational activities which influence the climate of trust at the workplace will be highlighted. Deceleration through trustworthy dialogue is emphasised as a most sensitive factor in times of change. Theoretical considerations as well as empirical findings are followed by conclusions for repetitive efforts related to trust, time, mindfulness and change, particularly on the part of intermediates in organisations.