The Primacy of Trust as a Facilitator of Further Group Accomplishment

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Abstract
The longitudinal study reported in this article focuses directly upon Gibb's (1964) model, in which the formation of trust is theorized to facilitate and, in part, to be a prerequisite to further group accomplishment. The author explores the impact of initial high and low levels of trust upon later group accomplishment in two sets of groups: one set which participated in organizational training laboratories, and one which did not. Results indicate that prelaboratory trust is a key predictor of eventual group accomplishment, although trust itself did not increase as a result of an isolated laboratory training experience. Furthermore, and as a function of training, the trainee's postlaboratory concept of trust merged with his concept of an effective group and an effective group meeting.