Trust and organisational change: an experience from manufacturing

Abstract

The introduction of new working practices in manufacturing organisations often highlight increased interdependencies and subsequently a heightened need for trust. The paper presents a study which monitors trust in an organisation that has introduced two such practices, namely team working and Just-In-Time. The study examines trust at a variety of levels at the organisation, over 21 months. It follows the progression of the new working practices, employing a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. The results show that significant changes in trust occur over time. Further, benefits and consequences of trust to the new working practices are detailed. Opsomming Die inwerkingstelling van nuwe werkspraktyke in vervaardigingsorganisasies beklemtoon dikwels ‘n verhoogde interafhanklikheid en gevolglik ‘n verskerpte behoefte aan vertroue. Hierdie artikel bespreek die monitering van vertroue in ‘n organisasie wat twee projekte geïmplementeer het, naamlik spanwerk en net-betydse werk. Die studie ondersoek vertroue oor ‘n periode van 21 maande, in ‘n verskeidenheid van vlakke in die organisasie. Dit volg die ontwikkeling van nuwe werkspraktyke deur ‘n kombinasie van kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe metodes. Die resultate toon dat betekenisvolle verskille in vertroue oor tyd plaasvind. Die voordele en gevolge van die nuwe werkspraktyke op vertroue word ook bespreek.