We often think and talk about trust in abstract terms, using phrases such as “I like him” or “I trust her.” As an associate professor of education who has done research on trust, however, I have found trust is knowable. We trust our bosses because they have the ability to do their job and to help us with our job. But much research indicates that details of trustworthiness involve three major attributes: ability, integrity and dignity. Ability matters mostAbility comprises the first 50 per cent of this equation — it matters more than anything else. In fact, Oliver Williamson, winner of the 2009 Nobel prize in economics, identifies vulnerability as the key pre-existing element in why trust matters.

Source: National Post September 21, 2018 12:59 UTC