Building trust from Afar

: the impact of CEOs visibility and communication on social networking sites on trust among their remote working teams

Abstract

This dissertation examines the impact of Chief Executive Officers CEOs)visibilityand communication on social networking sites (SNS) on trust in them among remote working teams.The research aims to address two main questions: (1) Does CEOs visibility on SNS increase trust in them among remote employees?; (2) What specific context of CEOs posts on SNS has a more significant impact on the development of cognitive-basedtrust and remote employees' perceptions of CEOs' trustworthiness? A mixed methods approach was employed to answer these research questions. An online surveywas conducted, receiving 358 responses and yielding a 96%completion rate. Additionally, open-ended questions were included in th esurvey, resulting in 55 responses. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with CEOs. The findings reveal that CEOs visibility on social media positively influences trust among remote teams. Employees agree that CEOs visibility on SNS contributes to increased trust. The study also highlights the significance of context in shaping employee perceptions.The professional contextdrives trust in CEO competence, reliability, and commitment,while the private context influences perceptions of honesty and openness. CEOs’ opinions regarding this matter varied, with some emphasizing alignment with company values, authenticity, and context, while others recognized potential positive and negative effects. This research intends to contribute to the fields of organizational communication, interpersonal organizational relationships, leadership communication, andbehavior. The implications of the findings suggest that trust is multifaceted, with attributes such as honesty, competence, reliability, and openness playing key roles. CEOs should prioritize these attributes to build and maintain trust among remote employees. Furthermore, CEOs should be mindful of how they present themselves in both professional and private contexts. l

Date of Award	21 Dec 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Fernando Ilharco (Supervisor)