This dissertation examines how trust develops in landscape level collaborative natural resource management efforts. I took a case study approach to research four projects in the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP). I conducted qualitative analysis of interviews, notes and observations from site visits and archival documents to understand the role and function of trust within my four case studies. The results are organized into five chapters: an introduction chapter, three manuscripts intended for stand-alone publication (Chapters 2-4), and a conclusion chapter. Chapter 2 reports on the development and function of trust within the four collaboratives I studied. Chapter 3 discusses the roles of facilitators and coordinators for engendering and maintaining trust. Chapter 4 examines three of the four case studies and compares the observed trust outcomes to the literature on traditional forms of public involvement. Finally, Chapter 5 synthesizes the findings from Chapters 2-4. These results provide useful information about the types of trust that contribute to successful collaborative efforts, as well as identify some of the practices and structures that engender those types of trust. / Ph. D.

This study was performed with the goal of delineating how drivers' interactions with an Automated Driving System were affected by a Driver Monitoring System (DMS), which provided alerts to the driver when he or she became inattentive to the driving environment. There were two specific research questions. The first was centered on addressing how drivers' trust and satisfaction with an Automated Driving System was affected by a DMS. The second was centered on addressing how drivers' abilities to detect changes in the driving environment that required intervention were affected by the presence of a DMS. Data were collected from fifty-six drivers during a test-track experiment with an Automated Driving System prototype that was equipped with a DMS. DMS attention prompt conditions were treated as the independent variable and trust, satisfaction, and driver performance during the experimenter triggered lane drifts were treated as dependent variables. The findings of this investigation suggested that drivers who receive attention prompts from a DMS have lower levels of trust and satisfaction with the Automated Driving System compared to drivers who do not receive attention prompts from a DMS. While the DMS may result in lower levels of trust and satisfaction, the DMS may help drivers detect changes in the driving environment that require attention. Specifically, drivers who received attention prompts after 7 consecutive seconds of inattention were 5 times more likely to react to a lane drift with no alert compared to drivers who did not receive attention prompts at all. / Master of Science

Ecuadorian farmers do not play the investment game (Berg 1995) the same with community farmers as they do with agricultural technicians. Women exhibit a preference for trust in agricultural technicians (vertical trust). Using experimental and survey data from 191 farmers we examine factors associated with 1) farmer trust in community farmers, 2) farmer trust in agricultural technicians, and 3) differences between levels of trust in agricultural technicians and community farmers. Then we explore how our measures of trust correlate with pesticide knowledge and purchase of pesticide safety equipment; in addition, we consider how our measures of trust correlate with accessing bank loans. Farmers who place more trust in community farmers score lower on our pesticide knowledge exam and they are less likely to adopt our pesticide safety equipment technology. We find that farmers who exhibit a preference for trusting agricultural technicians score higher on our pesticide knowledge exam; they are also more likely to report having accessed a bank loan. / Master of Science

Yes / Citizens’ satisfaction is acknowledged as one of the most significant influences for e-government adoption and diffusion. This study examines the impact of information quality, system quality, trust, and cost on user satisfaction of e-government services. Using a survey, this study collected 1518 valid responses from e-government service adopters across the United Kingdom. Our empirical outcomes show the five factors identified in this study have a significant impact on U.K. citizens’ satisfaction with e-government services.

Yes / The adoption of blockchain technologies require the consideration of a broad range of factors, over and above the predominantly technology focus of most current work. Whilst scholarly literature on blockchain technology is only beginning to emerge, majority are focused on the technicalities of the technology and tend to ignore the organizational complexities of adopting the technology. Drawing from a focused review of literature, this paper proposed a conceptual framework for adoption of blockchain technology capturing the complex relationships between institutional, market and technical factors. The framework highlights that varying outcomes are possible, and the change process is focal as this shapes the form blockchain applications take. Factors presented in the framework (institutional, market and technical) interact and mutually influence each other. The proposed framework can be used by organisations as a reference point for adopting blockchain applications and by scholars to expand, refine and evaluate research into blockchain technology.

Yes / This paper aims to capture the perception of banking services providers on how to restore their customers’ trust in the UK banking industry. Twenty frontline employees (FLEs) who have customer-facing responsibilities are interviewed and a thematic analysis of the interview transcripts is undertaken. Through the emergence of three different major themes and a number of sub-themes, we have presented our findings in the form of a trust restoration model. Interviewees have reported three major themes as an action framework to restore their customers’ trust. Firstly, banks are implementing enhanced transparency in their operations, by appropriately disclosing the key features of their lending and other banking activities. Secondly, they are implementing policies and procedures that can help strengthen their relationship banking, such as improving employee and customer engagement activities for supporting small businesses and the community. Thirdly, they are promoting operational efficiency by adequately investing in information technology infrastructure. However, some financial service practices identified by the interviewees, for example, the deliberate sale of financial products that are unsuitable for their customers or too complex to understand, still continues. Ultimately, this ‘sale before service’ tactic is incompatible with the industry claims of compliance with the new financial regulations.

Yes / Mobile applications are becoming a preferred delivery method for the government sector and contributing to more convenient and timely services to citizens. This study examines the intention to use mobile applications for the government services (mG-App) in Oman. This study extended the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model by including two constructs namely trust and information quality. Data were collected from 513 mobile application users across Oman. The research model was analysed in two stages. First, structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed to determine significant determinants affecting users’ acceptance of mG-App. In the second stage, a neural network model was used to validate SEM results and determine the relative importance of determinants of acceptance of mG-App. The findings revealed that trust and performance expectancy are the strongest determinants influencing the acceptance of mG-App. The findings of this research have provided theoretical contributions to the existing research on mG-App and practical implications to decision-makers involved in the development and implementation of mG-App in in Oman.

Yes / Having its origin in public administration, trustworthiness is a significant concept in digital government research, influencing the relationships between citizens and governments. However, the interrelationships between the facets of trustworthiness are given inadequate attention. Therefore, the aim of this research was to develop a theory detailing the factors affecting citizens’ perceptions of e-government trustworthiness. A comprehensive review of public administration and information systems literature highlighted 20 pertinent variables. The interrelationships of these variables were identified and categorized according to their driving and dependence power by employing interpretive structural modelling. The proposed model was then drawn based on the level partitioning of variables and interrelationships of the variables determined using the final reachability matrix. The findings reveal that current conceptualizations of digital government trustworthiness take a too narrow view. The findings can help government policy makers with understanding the interrelated factors associated with trustworthiness in the context of digital government services and implement them in effective strategic planning.

Yes / One of the main aspects of the Web 2.0 revolution has been social commerce that has resulted in many people across the world increasingly engaging with commercial activities over social media platforms. However, the academic and research interest in social commerce is still low, and more studies are required to accelerate awareness of the most important issues relating to social commerce, in particular, social trust and value cocreation. Thus, the present study aims to propose a conceptual model that is intended to enable greater understanding of the causal interactions between social commerce constructs, social trust, and customer value cocreation. We collected data using a sample of 300 followers and fans of online Facebook communities, and we analysed them by using a structural equation model. The results show that social commerce constructs positively impact on social trust. Furthermore, we found that social trust positively impacts on the three dimensions of customer value cocreation. We found that social trust mediates the relationship between the social commerce and customer value cocreation dimensions. The paper presents a considerable theoretical contribution for being the first study that links social commerce constructs with social trust. The linkage between social commerce constructs, social trust, and customer value cocreation dimensions will also be beneficial for social media marketing strategists and managers.

Abstract The Swedish Armed Forces prioritize leadership, values, and employee satisfaction, aiming to create good conditions for career advancement and to foster diversity. However, despite recruitment efforts, significant personnel turnover continues, challenging the organization's ability to meet its own and parliamentary goals for capability and readiness. The purpose of this sociological study is to identify and analyze the circumstances that influence employees' decisions to stay or leave the organization within the navy. The methodology uses qualitative research with semi-structured interviews, selected for its ability to delve into social interactions and reveal nuanced perspectives. Semi-structured interviews provide flexibility while maintaining some structure, allowing for in-depth exploration of interviewees' thoughts and experiences. A thematic analysis is conducted to identify patterns and themes related to employment, motivation, organizational culture, leadership, and personal circumstances. The selection process ensures a diverse representation of former and current employees to capture a range of experiences and perspectives.Drawing upon the sociology of emotions, a field that underscores the centrality of emotions in social interactions, this study examines concepts such as trust, solidarity, and belonging. By integrating this theoretical framework with empirical research, a deeper comprehension of employees' decisions to stay or depart from the organization is achieved. Key findings from the study include insights into organizational belonging, trust, and leadership. Furthermore, the study explores the role of culture and emotional labor in shaping employees' sense of belonging. Additionally, the study explores interviewees' experiences in juggling family and personal life responsibilities and explores the impact of demands and workload on employee well-being.