About the Book
In business, politics, marriage, indeed in any significant relationship, trust is the essential precondition upon which all real success depends. But what, precisely, is trust? How can it be achieved and sustained? And, most importantly, how can it be regained once it has been broken? In Building Trust, Robert C. Solomon and Fernando Flores offer compelling answers to these questions. They argue that trust is not something that simply exists from
the beginning, something we can assume or take for granted; that it is not a static quality or "social glue." Instead, they assert that trust is an emotional skill, an active and dynamic part of our lives that
we build and sustain with our promises and commitments, our emotions and integrity. In looking closely at the effects of mistrust, such as insidious office politics that can sabotage a company's efficiency, Solomon and Flores demonstrate how to move from naïve trust that is easily shattered to an authentic trust that is sophisticated, reflective, and possible to renew. As the global economy makes us more and more reliant on "strangers," and as our political and
personal interactions become more complex, Building Trust offers invaluable insight into a vital aspect of human relationships.
Table of Contents:
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
1: TRUSTING TRUST
Trust on Trial
Alternatives to Trust: Fear, Control, Power
Distrust: "Paranoia" and Cynicism
Basic Trust
Trusting Strangers: The Global Society
Talking about Trust
Building Trust
2: UNDERSTANDING AND MISUNDERSTANDING TRUST
How We Misunderstand Trust
Simple Trust
Blind Trust
Trust and Reliance: The Mechanization of Trust
Whom Can You Trust?
Two Virtues: Trust and Trustworthiness
Conditional Trust
Beyond Competence
Trust as Medium: The Most Insidious Misunderstanding
3: AUTHENTIC TRUST
From Simple Trust to Authentic Trust
Authentic Trust
Trust as Emotion
Trust as Mood
Trust as Background and as "Medium"
Self-Trust, Self-Confidence
Knowing Self-Trust
Emotional Self-Trust
Breaches and Betrayals of Trust
Trust, Hope, and Forgiveness
Authentic Trust and Leadership: Disclosing New Worlds
CONCLUSION: BUILDING AUTHENTIC TRUST
NOTES
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX
About the Author :
Robert C. Solomon is the Quincy Lee Centennial Professor of Business and Philosophy at the University of Texas, Austin. His books include A Short History of Philosophy and Business Ethics, both published by OUP. Fernando Flores is Presidente, Fundación Chile (a Chilean non-governmental organization) and Chairman and CEO of Business Design Associates, Inc.
Review :
"This is a book about trust that you can trust to be comprehensive, creative, and interestingly iconoclastic. Solomon and Flores argue that trust sustains all forms of human relationships. They claim that without trust--Hobbes would have been right--life would be nasty, brutish, and short! This concise book alters and adds to the debate on trust, and is a gift and a challenge to its readers."--Al Gini, Associate Editor, Business Ethics Quarterly
"Trust is easy to break, hard to build, and more important than ever. Our increasingly fluid, network economy depends on trusting relationships. Solomon and Flores offer valuable insights into the subtle dynamics of trust. It's not as simple as you might think, but their treatment of the topic is lucid and intelligent."--Jay Ogilvy, Co-founder and Managing Director, Global Business Network
"This is a book about trust that you can trust to be comprehensive, creative, and interestingly iconoclastic. Solomon and Flores argue that trust sustains all forms of human relationships. They claim that without trust--Hobbes would have been right--life would be nasty, brutish, and short! This concise book alters and adds to the debate on trust, and is a gift and a challenge to its readers."--Al Gini, Associate Editor, Business Ethics Quarterly
"Trust is easy to break, hard to build, and more important than ever. Our increasingly fluid, network economy depends on trusting relationships. Solomon and Flores offer valuable insights into the subtle dynamics of trust. It's not as simple as you might think, but their treatment of the topic is lucid and intelligent."--Jay Ogilvy, Co-founder and Managing Director, Global Business Network
"Trust, claim the authors, is an emotional skill that we must first understand and then, practice to achieve. This thoughtful book, more a philosophical soliloquy than a how-to, is organized into three chapters that explore the many meanings of trust, pinpoint the most powerful "authentic" trust, and describe its elements."--Business Reader Review
