Trust in management: the role of employee voice arrangements and perceived managerial opposition to unions

This study examines the relationship between employee voice arrangements and employees’ trust in
management using data from the 2007 Australian Worker Representation and Participation Survey of
1,022 employees. Drawing on social exchange theory and employee relations literature, we test
hypotheses concerning the relationships between direct and union voice arrangements, perceived
managerial opposition to unions and employees’ trust in management. Consistent with our predictions,
after controlling for a range of personal, job and workplace characteristics, regression analyses indicated
that direct voice arrangements were positively related to employees’ trust in management. Union voice
arrangements and perceived managerial opposition to unions were negatively related to trust in
management. The article concludes by highlighting the study’s implications for management practice and
avenues for further research.