Trust Violations and Positive Emotions: Moderating Role of Initial Trust: A Case of Kindergartens in China

Abstract

This paper examines the moderating role of initial trust of parents between positive emotions of parents and apology with an internal or external attribution after a competence or integrity-based trust violation by the Kindergarten for the purpose of trust repair. We asked about 855 parents to respond to a scenario in which they read about violation of competence with apology internal or about violation of integrity with apology external. After reading a scenario based hypothetical situation they respond to a questionnaire. Each participant was presented with one of the scenarios.The results revealed a significant interaction whereby positive emotions were produced more successfully when kindergarten apologized with an internal attribution in matters of violation concerned matters of competence but apologized with an external attribution when the trust violation concerned matters of integrity. Initial trust positively moderates the relationship between apology with internal and external attributions in matters concerning competence and integrity and positive emotions.

Keywords: Trust Violation, Competence, Integrity, Apology, Attribution, Kindergarten, Emotions, Initial Trust, Public Organization.