At the crossroads of trust and distrust: skepticism and ambivalence toward business

doi:10.1017/CBO9781139152389.006

4 - At the crossroads of trust and distrust: skepticism and ambivalence toward business

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 July 2014

Edited by

Brian Moriarty and

Robert Bies: Affiliation:
Georgetown University
Jared D. Harris: Affiliation:
University of Virginia
Brian Moriarty: Affiliation:
University of Virginia
Andrew C. Wicks: Affiliation:
University of Virginia

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Summary

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

the situation

Current analyses of public trust in business do not capture the new relationships and realities facing business in the twenty-first century.

key questions

What do high levels of distrust in business really mean? Is there a “new normal” with respect to trust and distrust in business? Should business leaders and policy makers be concerned about levels of trust in business? Are business accountability strategies and analytic tools effective for building public trust in business?

new knwowledge

Trust and distrust are not ends of the same continuum; rather, trust and distrust are two distinct phenomena, and both can exist simultaneously with respect to the public’s attitudes toward business. The simultaneous coexistence of trust and distrust creates the condition of ambivalence toward business. Trust tends to be a fairly stable phenomenon, but distrust also appears to be a resilient phenomenon, defining a new business landscape in which it does not fade away but is always present, if not always salient.

Type: Chapter
Information: Public Trust in Business , pp. 86 - 115

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139152389.006 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2014

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