Perceptions of Trust, Trust Building, and Maintenance between Japanese Expatriates and U.S. Host Nationals in a Multinational Corporation

Abstract

This study examined characteristics of trust in the workplace for Japanese expatriates and U.S. American host nationals, how they build and maintain trust in one another, as well as similarities and differences in such processes with individuals of the same and different national cultural backgrounds, by relying on sensemaking theory. Semi-structured, individual interviews were conducted with 16 Japanese expatriates and 16 U.S. host nationals working at a Japanese manufacturing company across the U.S. Findings revealed that competence and skills, teamwork and collaboration, and open/honest communication were important characteristics of trust in the workplace for both Japanese expatriates and U.S. host nationals, with some cultural differences. In building and maintaining trust, both parties looked for these characteristics in others’ behaviors and used them as cues to make sense of whom to (continue) trust(ing); each party, however, identified some unique, specific behaviors that contributed to their trust building and maintenance processes. Further, both Japanese expatriates and U.S. host nationals shared some similarities in how they built and maintained trust with those of the same and different cultural backgrounds, such as competence and skills. However, they also encountered many cultural differences in their relationship development process (e.g., work ethic), which affected how long they took and how much effort they put into establishing and maintaining trust with their colleagues of different cultural backgrounds. These results are discussed in the context of trust in intercultural communication in multinational organizations. Theoretical implications for trust and organizational communication literature are discussed, as are practical implications for individuals working in multinational organizations and corporations who engage with host nationals in the U.S. and expatriates. Keywords: expatriates, host nationals, trust, culture, organizational communication