The influence of diversity on the perception of inter- personal trust, and work group performance in South African organisation

Abstract

The research aimed to investigate the influence of diversification on inter-personal trust, and how the perceptions of inter-personal trust affects work group performance in South African organisations. Experiments were used to determine the effects of demographic differences on inter-personal trust and to stimulate the perceptions certain demographic groups have regarding inter-personal trust. Data was collected from a representative sample using both in-depth interviews in conjunction with a standardised questionnaire. Research findings indicated that demographics still influence inter-personal trust in South African organisations, even 17 years after the demise of apartheid. It was evident that especially for white individual‟s race and culture differences influenced their perception of inter-personal trust. The study also determine that inter-personal trust has a significant role to play on the performance of work groups in South African organisations, and that the level of diversity correlates with the level of inter-personal trust. An unexpected result from the study was the influence that age-diversification had on inter-personal trust perceptions. It is evident that there are still lots of work to be done in South Africa, and that race continues to play a role in the country. A lot of responsibility lies with the organisations themselves and there are a number of solutions that they have at their disposal. The result of these solutions could be beneficial for these organisations and the country as a whole.Copyright