WORKSHOP: Institutional Trust and Confidence: An Interdisciplinary Workshop, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, April 24-25, 2014

University Of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln NE

Investigators

Abstract

The Workshop will advance trust research by bringing together senior and junior researchers from a variety of social science areas (including criminology, law, management, political science, psychology, public administration, and sociology) who are interested in moving toward integrated theories of institutional trust. Intellectual Merit: Trust in institutions is critical to governing and the functioning of organizations, courts and judicial systems, and so on. Despite so many disciplines studying trust-related issues and influencing trust-related policies, there is relatively little in the development of an integrated framework of institutional trust and confidence. The Workshop will incorporate multiple research areas to build trust theory and quality measures of trust. It extends the work of researchers who have focused on measuring trust, confidence, and perceived legitimacy and justice. By bringing together insights from diverse researchers, the Workshop will advance knowledge on trust and confidence, contributing to areas of social science and furthering the goal of an integrated understanding of trust. Incorporating multiple research areas has great potential to transform our understanding of this topic. Broader Impacts: Measuring trust is essential for policymaking. Lack of trust in government has been a source of frustration across the political spectrum, and officials seek to regain public trust in various institutions. Relatedly, in business, enhancing trust is core to success. Thus, better understanding trust has tremendous potential to assist society. The researchers involved in this Workshop will continue influencing institutions and organizations through their consulting services and research publications. The Workshop will also aid junior researchers and students, exposing them to leaders across areas of social science, and offering the opportunity participate in the development of an accompanying book on trust. Finally, we will prepare a final report so that this Workshop?s contribution can be used as a model for other research projects and gatherings.