Examining the Relationships Between Leadership Attributes and Organisational Trust in Companies in Innovative Industries

Abstract

Theoretical background: Discussions on the search for factors to increase the company's market position increasingly focus on intangible assets. One of them is trust, which supports the management of organisations. The most important trust creator is the leader who, through organisational trust-building activities, influences the growth of employee innovation.Purpose of the article: Adopting the assumption that the manager influences the level of trust allowed us to formulate the aim of the article, which is to identify the relationship between leadership attributes and horizontal and vertical trust supporting the creation of innovation. Research methods: The aim was achieved by using the survey method, employing CAWI technique. The survey frame was innovative industry companies employing more than 50 people. Based on a random selection method, a research sample of 575 employees working in innovative companies in the pharmaceutical, energy, automotive and IT industries was established.Main findings: The research identified the impact of leadership attributes on vertical and horizontal trust, in particular establishing positive relationships with other employees, sharing ideas and information, being accountable for the tasks at hand, providing constructive advice, being helpful to other employees, receiving help from colleagues, and an atmosphere of genuine mutual trust between employees and supervisors. The findings provide insights into the application of leadership attributes for building a trust-based organisational culture