How does Trust work ? The Integrative Model of Organizational Trust (1995)

Mayer, Davis, and Schoorman define trust as:

“The willingness of a party to be vulnerable to the actions of another party based on the expectation that the other will perform a particular action important to the trustor.”

In simple terms: trust = being willing to take a risk because you believe the other person won’t let you down.

I. The Core Structure of the Model

The model explains trust using three main elements:

1. Trustor (the one who trusts)

This is the person who decides whether or not to trust someone (e.g., an employee, manager, or colleague).

The trustor has a propensity to trust

     → a personality trait shaped by experience, culture, and past relationships

     → some people trust easily, others are more cautious

2. Trustee (the one being trusted)

Trust depends largely on how trustworthy the trustee appears. The model identifies three key factors:

Ability

• Skills, competence, and expertise

• “Can this person actually do the job?” 

Benevolence

• The extent to which the trustee genuinely cares about the trustor

• “Do they have good intentions toward me?”

Integrity

• Adherence to principles the trustor finds acceptable (honesty, fairness, consistency)

• “Do they do what they say they will do?”

Together, these three form perceived trustworthiness.

3. Trust → Risk-Taking in the Relationship

• When trust is high, the trustor becomes willing to take risks

• Examples in organizations:

  • Sharing sensitive information

  • Delegating important tasks

  • Accepting decisions without monitoring

Trust does not mean risk disappears, rather it means the person accepts vulnerability.

II. Outcomes and Feedback Loop

• The results of risk-taking behaviors influence future trust

• Positive outcomes → trust increases

• Negative outcomes → trust decreases

This creates a dynamic loop where trust evolves over time.

III. Simple Visual Summary (for a blog)

Propensity to Trust
        ↓
Perceived Trustworthiness
(Ability + Benevolence + Integrity)
        ↓
        Trust
        ↓
Risk-Taking Behavior
        ↓
   Outcomes
        ↺ (feeds back into trust)

IV. Why This Model Is Still Important

Widely used in organizational behavior, leadership, and HR research

Helps explain:

• Manager–employee trust

• Leadership effectiveness

• Team performance

Emphasizes that trust is both rational and emotional

V. One-Sentence Blog-Friendly Summary

Trust in organizations emerges when individuals believe others are competent, well-intentioned, and principled and are therefore willing to accept vulnerability.