Building trust in workplace information systems: a four-company study

Employees’ trust in information systems is crucial for their successful adoption. This study examines potential trust antecedents, including personal factors, system factors (reliability, credibility, usability, design aesthetics), and contextual and service structures (support, participation, abilities of involved individuals). We conducted a longitudinal field study with four measurement points in four companies introducing new information systems (N = 157). Results revealed that trust in information systems was positively correlated with employees’ reported performance and cognitive resources, and negatively with strain. Multigroup latent growth curve analyses identified three distinct trust trajectories: positive (linear increase), stable, and negative (linear decrease). Employees in companies with positive trust trajectories perceived system properties and contextual and service structures more favourably than those with stable or negative trust trajectories. However, consistently across time points, only system properties were positively associated with trust. Follow-up interviews highlighted organisational strategies to foster trust, including selection, customisation, and continuous improvement of information systems. Emphasising the pivotal role of trust in the adoption of these systems, our research advances the understanding of trust dynamics over extended periods. Practically, this study provides strategies for organisations to support employees in developing trust in information systems, moving beyond mere reliance on the systems’ inherent properties.