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Summary Topic Crisis of Trust Study guide
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A summary of all the literature for the six weeks including guest lectures and lecture slides.
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Week 1: IntroductionImportant concepts
Our society is built on trust
The cycle of distrust? Between media and government - seen as divisive. Fake news as the core
problem.
Social media is polluting the landscape.
*Business as the most trusted institution/actor.
Which concepts are related to trust in the context of organisations? → legitimacy, reputation,
power, ethics, creating conflicts, crisis, money involved, shareholders, demand and supply,
stakeholders.
What do organisations (institutions) do to gain trust?
Strategic communication
Articles
Hallahan et al., (2007)
Defining strategic communication.
→ An unifying framework to study the communication of organisations.
Strategic: communication purposefully to advance the mission of the organisation
- Deliberate communication to gain trust; building trust as one of the main goals.
→ Underlying processes for higher order effects like relationships, trust, legitimacy and reputation.
*About communication effects and interaction with the public; more than just the sending of
messages!
Two different communication models.
(1) Transmission, communication is an instrument. To get an effect but very instrumental, not
taking interaction with stakeholders in consideration. Communicating; very one way.
(a) Can also be two-way when stakeholders talk back. Functionalist.
(2) Ritual, communication as a process. Constitutes the organisation, “no organisation without
communication”
(a) Radical constructivism, “everything is communication” approach.
● Strategic communication is about the shared meaning and the influence of these - the
communication effects - that the communication process generates.
Deliberate communication practices on behalf of these organisations:
a. Corporate communication
b. Marketing and advertising and PR
c. Business communication skills
d. Organisational communication
Four reasons for using strategic communication
, 1. Not possible to differentiate between different forms of communication
2. The changed media landscape and rise of social media, different channels
3. Organisations use many means to influence people
4. It is important to recognise the purpose of influencing as a goal of communication for
organisations.
Strategic Background
Link to warfare terms, conquer connotation; negative overall.
→ Competition, rational decision making and management.
Power over and control of the public
Habermas´ theory of communicative action: system world with strategic action in regards to the
state and economy.
Moreno et al., 2021
Eurobarometer 2018: 39% of citizens in the EU show little or no confidence in the media.
Trust is central to the practice of public relations. Basic assumptions including:
(a) Degree of interdependence between trustor and trustee
(b) Trust helps to cope with risk and uncertainty in relationships
(c) There will not be an abuse of the vulnerability resulting from the trust
How is trust in PR perceived on three levels?
→ New Institutionalism Theory! Trust is something to be given or placed and it may be done in these
levels…
(1) Macro: society/professional. The degree to which the public believes that professions will act
serving and protecting the public's interests.
(2) Meso: the department in the organisation, individuals but in groups. Institutions as normative
and regulative elements that provide stability and meaning to social life.
(3) Micro: individual and group actions.
Horizontal relationships involve trust and cooperation in comparison to vertical relationships.
Who trusts the profession?
(1) Top executives
(2) Influencers and bloggers
(3) Journalists
(4) General public.
Who trusts the departments?
(1) Top executives
(2) Journalists
(3) Influencers and bloggers
(4) General public
*General public as very sceptical
Who trusts the professional?
, (1) Co-workers
(2) Top executives
(3) Internal clients
(4) Journalists
(5) Public they have contact with
Who trusts the general public the most?
(1) External experts
(2) Top executives
(3) External supporters/fans
(4) Other employees (non communication)
(5) Communication and PR professionals
(6) Marketing and sales representatives
(7) Activists
Therefore… What to do to build trust?
● Knowledge based facts
● Be transparent
● Ethical
Conclusion/Insights
● Individual trust is higher than trust in departments and profession
● Trust is a key challenge for “post-truth” societies with high proliferation of fake news and
strategically planned misinformation
● Interpersonal relations / communication works best for activating/building trust.
→ Media combined with interpersonal communication works best to build trust.
What is trust? (IESS)
The general sense of wellbeing in relation to one's self and towards others.
Between people, groups, towards organisations…
● The essential attribute of human character and interpersonal interaction.
● Learned at young age by parental figures
● Feeling secure in expectations of good outcomes in daily life.
Defined as an interaction imperative, give and take, reciprocity, equal exchange.
In this globalised world, a more generalised interpersonal trust is necessary.
→ globalisation, industrialisation extends relationships, changing the necessity of trust and the way
we experience trust.
Generalised interpersonal trust
a. Trusting people you do not know.
b. Different geographical location
Important for the economy and institutions.
*High trust → Helpful externality that improves economic processes and exchange in markets.
*Low trust → deviation like engaging in mafia practices.
Building a civil society and democracy.
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