Horizontal Trust and Intra-Group and Inter-Group Processes in Enterprises in Innovative Industries
Horizontal Trust and Intra-Group and Inter-Group Processes in Enterprises in Innovative Industries

Summary/Abstract: Theoretical background: Discussions on the search for factors to increase the company’s market position increasingly focus on intangible assets. One of them is trust, which, based on interpersonal cooperation within employee groups and organizations, supports the flow of knowledge and information necessary to create innovations. Therefore, it may become a key factor in increasing the company’s chances of gaining a competitive advantage on the market.Purpose of the article: The aim of the article is to identify the connections between horizontal trust and group processes supporting the creation of innovations.Research methods: The assumed goal was achieved thanks to the use of a survey method that was used to identify the attributes of organizational trust and their impact on intra- and inter-group processes in the surveyed enterprises in the innovative industry. The study was nationwide. The research frame included companies employing over 50 people in innovative industry enterprises. Based on the random selection method, a research sample was constructed consisting of 575 employees employed in enterprises from innovative industries, i.e. pharmacy, energy, automotive and IT. Main findings: As a result of the research, the impact of organizational trust attributes on intra-group pro- cesses was identified, in particular on the quality of tasks performed requiring team cooperation, sharing knowledge with other colleagues and reducing opportunism in the team, as well as inter-group processes, including the flow of information and cooperation between employee teams, departments in the company, creating innovations in cooperation with other teams. The research results provide knowledge on the use of organizational trust attributes that can be used to build an organizational culture based on trust in en- terprises. In a cognitive sense, the research results contribute to understanding the role of organizational trust in activities to create innovation.

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