Exploring the Conditional Effects of Managerial Trust on Employee Motivation During Organizational Change : A qualitative research using ABI-model to explore trust and motivation in times of change

The purpose of this study is to increase the understanding of how employees' trust in their immediate managers evolves during periods of organizational change and how this in turn affects motivation in the workplace. This study uses a qualitative research approach by using semi-structured interviews with eleven participants from different organizations, where each has undergone one or more organizational changes. Thereafter, a thematic analysis was performed based on the ABI model of trust as an analytical framework. The findings show that trust in immediate managers plays a crucial role in shaping employee motivation during organizational change. Trust is built or eroded depending on the leader's ability, benevolence and integrity. Where integrity turned out to be the most critical factor. The study concludes that balanced and consistent leadership through these dimensions is crucial to maintaining employee engagement during times of uncertainty.