Year Doctoral Student, OPIM

When deception breeds trust: prosocial lying increases trust Trust is essential in organizations and interpersonal relationships (e.g. Blau, 1964; Golembiewski & McConkie, 1975). Trust influences leadership effectiveness (Atwater, 1988; Bazerman, 1994), negotiations (Valley, Moag, & Bazerman, 1998), and is critical for managing risk (e.g. Sheppard & Sherman, 1998). Consistent with prior research, we define trust as, “a psychological state comprising the intention to accept vulnerability based upon positive expectations of the intentions or behavior of another ” (Rousseau, Sitkin, Burt, & Camerer, 1998: 395). Although prior research conceptualizes lying as a violation of trust, the present research documents circumstances in which lying increases trust. Specifically, we investigate when and why prosocial lies, or lies that cause some benefit to others, increase interpersonal trust. This course of research contributes to our understanding of the antecedents of trust and the consequences of deception. We break new ground by identifying a context in which deception helps, rather than hurts, trust. Our findings may explain when and why trust breaks down, despite efforts to maintain integrity. This work offers prescriptive advice to individuals on how to foster trust. Trust is largely influenced by trustee attributes, such as ability, integrity, and benevolence (e.g., Butler, 1991; Mayer et al., 1995). Integrity is defined as the reputation for honesty and truthfulness (Butler & Cantrell, 1984). B