The Neuroscience of High-Trust Organizations

Abstract

Human beings are embedded in various organizations. Organizational cultures can promote prosocial behaviors such as trustworthiness or antisocial behaviors such as theft. Studies in social neuroscience have identified the neurochemical oxytocin as a key neurologic signal for trustworthiness. On the basis of the neuroscience research and field studies done in businesses, this article describes the key factors that can help to promote trust within organizations. A model is given for how to intervene in organizations to increase trust, and real organizational examples are used to show how various companies have done this. This approach to “neuromanagement” provides a scientific foundation to understand an important factor that affects performance in organizations.