Trust under endogenous observability: measurement, accountability, and institutional mediation in complex public systems

Purpose This article introduces the concept of endogenous observability. It examines how measurement and accountability tools establish trust and mistrust in complex public systems, and how institutional mediation affects that relationship. Design/methodology/approach The article is a conceptual theory-building paper. It integrates systems theory, cybernetics, trust theory, accountability research, measurement studies, and digital governance to reconstruct trust as a systems-level relation mediated by organized forms of observation. Findings The paper argues that observability is an endogenous output of measurement and accountability instruments. These arrangements make certain actions, outcomes, responsibilities, and failures visible, while others remain hidden. It proposes the concept of endogenous observability, as well as six dimensions of observability regimes, four mechanisms, six propositions, and four trust regimes (systemic suspicion, delegated trust, metricized pseudo-trust, and warranted system trust). Originality/value The paper contributes to trust, systems theory, accountability and digital governance by reframing measurement systems as trust infrastructures. It shows that trust in complex public systems depends not only on information, transparency or explainability, but on institutional arrangements that produce visibility, comparability, attribution, interpretation and contestability.