The Field Guide › Paper
An analysis of betrayal of trust in organisations, examining what happens when trust is violated and the conditions under which people choose to betray trust placed in them. Develops a model of the betrayer's decision process, distinguishing motivations, the role of self-interest, and the situational pressures that make betrayal more likely. Relevant to understanding the absence and breakdown of trust: where trust is missing or has been violated, relationships turn defensive and people spend energy on self-protection (political manoeuvring, status preservation) that might otherwise have gone into the work.