Brokered Distances: A Model of Triadic Trust In Organizations

Triadic trust constitutes a meaningful and consequential phenomenon in organizations. We advance a novel conceptualization of triadic trust as a relational phenomenon with unique features that distinguish it from generalized trust, dyadic trust, and network trust, and position it as the quintessential bridge between micro and macro explanations of trust in organizations. Our triadic model of trust involves an Actor, a Broker, and a Partner. We identify perceived distances within the Actor-Broker-Partner (ABP) triad as critical determinants of triadic trust, and introduce four foundational properties of perceived distances in triads that shape triadic trust directly as well as indirectly, via judgments of trustworthiness. We conceptualize perceived distances as malleable, and brokers as strategic decision makers who choose whether and how to influence perceived distances within the ABP triad, thereby shaping triadic trust. Our proposed model integrates and advances trust theory, network theory, and balance theory, and offers new directions for research on the antecedents and consequences of trust in organizations.