Influence of National Culture on Trust Development: Empirical Evidence and Managerial Implications

Purpose: The existing research suggests that trust has a drastic impact on improving individual work motivation as well as organizational performance, keeping the status of glue that joins individuals and organizations. However, the existing research suggests that trust is influenced by various factors and national culture is one of them. This research is conducted to estimate, analyze and understand the influence of national culture on trust building in the light of the available literature and empirical evidence.Design/Methodology/Approach: This research is based on the PhD research dissertation of the author and it was conducted through qualitative content analysis of research articles on the subject matter.Findings: This research suggests that trust is not an independent, but a dependent variable, which is influenced by several individual, organizational and environmental factors and among these variables, national culture is one of the most important factors influencing the process of trust development among individuals as well as organizations.Implications/Originality/Value: This study corroborates the drastic cultural influence on trust development. Due to the internationalization of business, trust development is progressively encompassing cross-cultural relationships. Hence, cultural variance instead of a moderator, is a predictor for the cultivation of trust building. Theoretically, as well as practically, this research paper offers several implications for managers and practitioners.&