Reflecting on the state of trust

Cardiff Business School’s Dr Allison Wylde presented her research on trust and risk at a large security and crime seminar in London recently (14 June 2017).

The ASIS International UK event was attended by more than one hundred and fifty senior security practitioners with a diverse speaker line-up covering a wide-range of topics related to the field of national security, including technology, consumer behaviour and international cooperation. Set against a backdrop of heightened national security following recent terrorist-related activities, speakers included: the Chairman of ASIS International UK and head of security for the Francis Crick Centre; the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; UK National Authority for Counter Eavesdropping (UK NACE); and the head of security for the O2 Arena.

The National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) also briefed on current security matters following the terrorist atrocities in Manchester and London.

Dr Wylde is a member of Cardiff Business School’s Marketing and Strategy section and a research fellow with Cardiff University’s Crime and Security Research Institute and her research focuses on security personnel’s perceptions of trust and risk under conditions of uncertainty. During the conference, Dr Wylde presented her latest research from a paper in development for the European Group of Organisation Studies.

Trust can yield many benefits, both economic and social. At a macro level, social cohesion, borne from trust, can strengthen governance and improve the honesty and efficiency of public administration. When categorising who people trust it is clear that demographic and cultural factors such as gender, class and profession play a significant role. The issue of trust, particularly in public institutions and leaders, is a topical one and research suggests that trust is, in some domains, diminishing. The context for this decline is informed by, among other influences, current threats, heightened uncertainty, the growth of ‘fake news’ and general insecurity.

Dr Wylde also considered the Mayer et al. model of factors of perceived trustworthiness. This includes the willingness of a trustor to believe in an individual, and their perception of risk in doing so, related to core characteristics such as ability, benevolence and integrity.

ASIS International is the leading organisation for security professionals worldwide and was founded in 1955. It is dedicated to increasing the effectiveness and productivity of security professionals by developing educational programmes and materials that address broad security interests.

Find out more about the Crime and Security Research Institute.