Institutional trust is a dynamic relationship between an
individual
An individual is that which exists as a distinct entity. Individuality (or self-hood) is the state or quality of being an individual; particularly (in the case of humans) of being a person unique from other people and possessing one's own Maslow ...
and an
institution
Institutions are humanly devised structures of rules and norms that shape and constrain individual behavior. All definitions of institutions generally entail that there is a level of persistence and continuity. Laws, rules, social conventions a ...
. It is a form/sub-type of
trust and is distinguished by the potential magnitude of its effect.
The relationship can be analyzed through techniques developed for the analysis of
interpersonal ties
In social network analysis and mathematical sociology, interpersonal ties are defined as information-carrying connections between people. Interpersonal ties, generally, come in three varieties: ''strong'', ''weak'' or ''absent''. Weak social ti ...
. The form of the relationship may be explicit (or implicit) and internal (or external) to an institution in both perception and reality. The disposition of the relationship can be qualified as positive, neutral or negative. The strength of the relationship is quantifiable through a relative percentage from 0% (weak) to 100% (strong) and a degree of separation (for example, 1 degree of separation means the trust relationship is direct, see
Six degrees of separation).
The characteristics of the relationship may change over variable periods of time (from instantaneously to slowly).
Institutional trust is often expressed through a
value judgment. It has major implications in all fields of study, especially power dynamics, including (but not limited to) forms of
power (social and political).
References
* Hurley, R.F., Gillespie, N., Ferrin, D.F. & Dietz, G. (2013). Designing Trustworthy organizations. Sloan Management Review 54(4): 75-82.
* Kramer, Roderick; Todd L. Pittinsky (2012). Restoring Trust in Organizations and Leaders: Enduring Challenges and Emerging Answers. Oxford University Press. .
* Bachmann, R.; Inkpen, A. C. (2011). "Understanding Institutional-based Trust Building Processes in Inter-organizational Relationships". Organization Studies 32 (2): 281–301. doi:10.1177/0170840610397477. ISSN 0170-8406.
* Mark Saunders (2010). Organizational Trust: A Cultural Perspective. Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN, 978-1-139-48850-1.
* Gillespie, N. & Dietz, G. (2009). Trust repair after organization-level failure. Academy of Management Review 34(1): 127-145.
Social institutions
Sociological terminology