THE EFFECT OF ORGANIZATIONAL TRUST ON WORK ENGAGEMENT: AN APPLICATION ON LOGISTICS PERSONNEL

Abstract

Organizations have to have employees who trust each other and the organization in order to reach their goals and to get ahead of their competitors. There is a close relationship between organizational trust and work engagement concepts. The increased trust of an employee to his or her company will make him/her feel part of an organization and increase the employee's commitment to work. The concept of work engagement, which means identification of the individual with his/her job and having an important place of employees' job in the individual's life plays an important role on the performance of individuals and organizations. From this point of view; in the logistics industry which has a rapidly growing, dynamic and intense structure the trust of employees to their organizations and their engagement to work has a significant importance for the companies to stay in the race. In this study, Cummings and Bromiley (1996) Organizational Trust Inventory and Schaufeli et al. (2006) Utrecht Work Engagement Scale are used to investigate the level of organizational trust and work engagement level of logistics employees and whether there is any relationship between these two concepts. Within the scope of the sample, the logistics employees participating in this research have a high level of organizational trust and work engagement. According to the findings of the research, there is a significant relationship between organizational trust and work engagement levels of logistics employees.

Full text

139
The International New Issues In SOcial Sciences
Number: 5 pp: 139-158 Summer 2017
THE EFFECT OF ORGANIZATIONAL TRUST ON WORK ENGAGEMENT: AN
APPLICATION ON LOGISTICS PERSONNEL©
Arş. Gör. Ramazan Özkan Yıldız *
Arş. Gör. Esra Baran **
Arş. Gör. İlke Sezin AYAZ ***
Abstract
Organizations have to have employees who trust each other and the
organization in order to reach their goals and to get ahead of their
competitors. There is a close relationship between organizational trust and
work engagement concepts. The increased trust of an employee to his or her
company will make him/her feel part of an organization and increase the
employee's commitment to work. The concept of work engagement, which
© This article has been presented at III. International Caucasus-Central Asia Foreign Trade and
Logistics Congress, on October 19-21, 2017 in Kastamonu.
* Arş. Gör., Dokuz Eylul University Maritime Faculty Department of Maritime Business
Administration / Iskenderun Technical University Barbaros Hayrettin Naval Architect and
Maritime Faculty Department of Maritime Business Administration, rozkan.yildiz@iste.edu.tr
** Arş. Gör., Dokuz Eylul University Maritime Faculty Department of Maritime Business
Administration, esra.baran@deu.edu.tr
*** Arş. Gör., Dokuz Eylul University Maritime Faculty Department of Maritime Business
Administration / Bursa Technical University Maritime Faculty Department of Maritime
Business Administration, ilke.ayaz@deu.edu.tr
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means identification of the individual with his/her job and having an important
place of employees' job in the individual's life plays an important role on the
performance of individuals and organizations. From this point of view; in the
logistics industry which has a rapidly growing, dynamic and intense structure
the trust of employees to their organizations and their engagement to work
has a significant importance for the companies to stay in the race. In this study,
Cummings and Bromiley (1996) Organizational Trust Inventory and Schaufeli et
al. (2006) Utrecht Work Engagement Scale are used to investigate the level of
organizational trust and work engagement level of logistics employees and
whether there is any relationship between these two concepts. Within the
scope of the sample, the logistics employees participating in this research have
a high level of organizational trust and work engagement. According to the
findings of the research, there is a significant relationship between
organizational trust and work engagement levels of logistics employees.
Key Words: Organizational Trust, Work Engagement, Logistics, Human
Resources
JEL: M12, M54
ÖRGÜTSEL GÜVENİN İŞE BAĞLILIK ÜZERİNE ETKİSİ: LOJİSTİK ÇALIŞANLARINA
YÖNELİK BİR UYGULAMA
Özet
Örgütler hedeflerine ulaşabilmek ve rakiplerinin önüne geçebilmek için
birbirine ve kurumuna güven duyan çalışanlara sahip olmak zorundadır.
Örgütsel güven ve işe bağlılık kavramları arasında yakın bir ilişki vardır.
Çalışanın kurumuna duyduğu güvenin artması kendini örgütün bir parçası
olarak hissetmesini ve işe bağlılığının artmasını sağlayacaktır. Bireyin işiyle
özdeşleşmesi ve işinin bireyin yaşamında önemli bir yere sahip olması anlamına
gelen işe bağlılık kavramı, bireylerin ve örgütlerin performansına doğrudan etki
ettiği için örgütlerin başarısında oldukça önemli bir rol oynamaktadır. Bu
noktadan hareketle; hızla büyüyen, oldukça dinamik ve yoğun bir yapıya sahip
olan lojistik sektöründe çalışanların işe bağlılıkları ve örgütlerine duydukları
güven yarışın içerisinde kalabilmek için büyük bir önem arz etmektedir. Bu
çalışmada Cummings ve Bromiley (1996) Örgütsel Güven Envanteri ve Schaufeli
vd. (2006) Utrecht İşe Bağlılık ölçeği kullanılarak lojistik çalışanlarının örgütsel
güven ve işe bağlılık düzeyleri araştırılmış ve bu iki kavram arasında herhangi
bir ilişki olup olmadığı incelenmiştir. Belirlenen örneklem kapsamında
araştırmaya katılan lojistik çalışanlarının örgütsel güven ve işe bağlılık seviyeleri
The Effect Of Organizational Trust On Work Engagement: An
Application On Logistics Personnel (pp.139-158)
Ramazan Özkan Yıldız, Esra Baran, İlke Sezin Ayaz
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oldukça yüksek çıkmıştır. Araştırmanın bulgularına göre lojistik çalışanlarının
örgütsel güven düzeyleri ve işe bağlılıkları arasında anlamlı bir ilişki
saptanmıştır.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Örgütsel Güven, İşe Bağlılık, Lojistik, İnsan Kaynakları
I. Introduction
Logistics management is a part of the supply chain management; designs,
realizes, and controls the capable, intense forward and pivots stream and limit
of stock, benefits and related information between the motivation behind root
and the reason for usage considering the ultimate objective to meet clients'
necessities (CSCMP, 2015). It is tied in with getting things to where they should
be, however is substantially more extensive than transportation (Long, 2003).
Logistics implies for the most part the composed development of merchandise,
administrations, and at times individuals (Wood, et al., 2002). Logistics is basic
to the achievement of each organization. Once considered as vital, in the
background operational movement, logistics is currently perceived as a key
device for making client esteem and steadfastness (CLM, 1998).
In the present global and focused business world, reasonable superiority is the
essential factor for accomplishment of the organizations. The human resources
have a noteworthy part to build up this sort of upper hand through utilizing
workforce productively and adequately. Qualified workforce is a focused
power for worldwide organizations and the capacity of those organizations to
successfully contend in the worldwide commercial competition is dependent
upon recognizing and choosing a sufficient number of qualified personnel
(Özer-Çaylan and Yıldız, 2016). Human resources which are engaged with their
work will perform efficiently and effectively and they will be eager to take
initiatives for the sake of the company. Employees who developed trust to
their organizations will get engaged with their works. So this situation is also
essential for logistics companies.
Trust is among the most as often as possible referred to subjects of logistics
concepts as the company's or employees' conviction that that organization or
another party will perform activities that will bring about positive activities for
the firm and workers themselves, and additionally not take abrupt activities
that would bring about negative results for them (Fynes et al., 2005). Trust
brings about more prominent receptiveness inside the organizations and in
this manner more prominent information and valuation for each other's
commitment to the relationship. Trust has some specific properties (Lin et al.,
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2005):
*Trust is setting subordinate.
*Trust depicts the level of confidence in the reliability of an accomplice.
*Trust depends on past understanding.
*Partners can trade data on their separate notorieties by means of
suggestions, hence supporting a notoriety system to enable settle on to
confide in choices.
*Trust isn't transitive.
*Trust is subjective; that is, distinctive spectators may mention diverse
objective facts in regards to the dependability of a similar accomplice.
*Trust is dynamic and no monotonic. Experience and suggestions persistently
increment or lessening the level of trust in another accomplice.
In spite of the fact that the research on trust underlines to concentrate on a
part's qualities, for example, integrity, ability, reliability, credibility, and so on,
choice to trust require different judgments in this manner trust ought to be
measured from different setting subordinate viewpoints at various levels in
relationship from impression of employees and organizations. The key points
of view of trust in logistics firms are; characteristics trust, rational trust (cost
and benefit, dynamic capabilities, technology) and institutional trust/security
system. A critical contention of this idea is that trust must be dyadic.
(Laeequddin, 2010). Without trust, organizations basically attempt to
intervene participation. Trust empowers individuals from the association group
to depend on each other (Chen et al., 2011). It is contended that trust can't be
constrained and ought not be volunteered, and along these lines the main
methods for encouraging coordinated effort is either through unequal power-
relationships or by giving motivating forces to employees. (Panayides and Lun,
2009).
Organizational Trust
Trust is the choice to depend on another gathering under a state of risk. That
is, trust has two foremost constituents: dependence and risk. Risk alludes to
the likelihood that the trusting party will encounter expenses or harm if the
other party demonstrates dishonest. Dependence includes one's destiny being
dictated by another's activities (Currall and Epstein, 2003). Trust is conceivable
just when requirements exist inside the framework that implement activities
that satisfy a man's trust, or slate deceitful ones (Darley, 1998).
Over the previous decade, trust has risen as the focal methods for
accomplishing participation in organizational relationships. Trust is
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comprehensively seen as an exceptionally powerful method for encouraging
participation over a wide range of organizational relationships (Rindfleisch,
2000). Cummings and Bromiley, (1996) define trust in terms of beliefs about
negotiating behavior and moderation in exploiting advantages and they claim
that trust reduces transactions cost in and between organizations. According
to Elgoibar et al., (2016) trust is a basic factor to manufacture intra-
organizational relations and collaboration and it has constructive results at
relational and group level in associations. Creating trust in associations is
testing. Trust is less demanding to obliterate than to make. There are basically
two purposes behind this statement. The first is the way that trust-breaking
occasions are frequently more obvious and detectable than positive trust-
building ones. Furthermore, trust-breaking occasions are finished up to
higherly affect confide in judgments than positive occasions (Lewicki et al.,
2016). Numerous researchers have recognized certain basic achievement
factors in such relationships, for example, alliances and partnerships. Among
the most widely recognized, and perhaps at the same time a standout amongst
the most basic, is trust. Trust encourages more open correspondence, data
sharing and conflict management. It has been suggested that a specific
measure of trust is required as an edge condition for organizational
collaboration to advance (Seppanen et al., 2007).
Researchers have distinguished trust as a noteworthy part of effective business
rehearse given the new types of relations both between and inside
associations. Trust impacts connections among people and associations yet has
been a slippery idea to characterize and measure (Vidotto et al., 2008).
Following their investigations about the effect of trust in organizations,
Cummings and Bromiley built up an instrument that measures individual or
aggregate convictions among the individuals from a party, as per which
another individual or party keep responsibilities, arrange sincerely and does
not take unreasonable preferred standpoint when the open door is accessible
(Ranca and Iordanescu, 2012).
Work Engagement
Work engagement is a standout amongst the most well-known terms in both
the scholastic and expert literatures. Moreover, engagement is one of the
extensively utilized terms by counseling firms. Such a testing, quickly evolving,
focused, and innovative business condition similarly as todays requires going
some additional miles for the parties, organizations and employees. When we
put the financial emergencies and all the vulnerability on the conditions above,
unmistakably there is extraordinary weight on associations and workers. Along
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these lines, the welfare of employees is influenced from this term and work
engagement is a piece of this welfare (Rothmann et al., 2005: 55).
There are various diverse meanings of work engagement in the literature.
Work engagement is characterized as a steady, positive full of feeling
motivational condition of satisfaction (Maslach et al. 2001: 417). As indicated
by Demerouti and Cropanzano, (2010) work engagement is proposed to be
valuable for both the individual and the organization as it is relied upon to
impact how people do their function and satisfy their work errands. In other
definition, work engagement is characterized as a positive, satisfying, business
related perspective that is portrayed by force, commitment, and assimilation
(Schaufeli et al., 2002). Power is described as demonstrating elevated amounts
of vitality and having mental adaptability while working, the intentionality of
one's to contribute push to work, and constancy additionally even with
troubles. Devotion is connected with being emphatically associated with one's
work and feeling a feeling of criticalness, energy, motivation, pride, and test
(Schaufeli and Bakker, 2004). What's more, the last one, assimilation is
described by being completely thought and joyfully possessed in one's work,
whereby time passes quick and one experiences issues with disconnecting
oneself from work (Bakker et al, 2003).
Organizational Trust and Work Engagement
Dynamically, trust is considered as a basic settling in the compelling operation
of the organization. The creating criticalness of trust starts from the way that it
achieves wide and expansive focal points for individuals, parties and
organizations. Trust can broaden social capital in the going with three courses,
by (Chugtai and Buckley, 2009: 574):
* mitigating exchange costs inside the association through upgraded joint
effort and collaboration;
* increasing friendliness of employees which thus can prompt more
philanthropic and pro-social practices;
* and encouraging concession to those in expert which infers that managers
don't need to always legitimize their activities and practices to their
subordinates.
One might say that trust is the determinant of good connections and congruity
between individuals. Trust is a sentiment accepting and drawing in without
dread, dithering or doubt. Putting stock in the work, tolerating the qualities
and targets of the work is critical as far as work engagement. Work
engagement can be viewed as a critical factor in expanding the execution of
The Effect Of Organizational Trust On Work Engagement: An
Application On Logistics Personnel (pp.139-158)
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the employee and, in this way, the organization's level of effectiveness
(Gülbahar, 2017: 149).
The connection amongst trust and engagement could be clarified by the social
exchange theory. The social exchange theory is prefaced on the conviction that
the social setting of the organization, including the view of trust by its
individuals, shapes the relationship that exists between the organization and
the workers. Employees have a tendency to respond the treatment they get
from the organization in a way they seem to be reasonable (Ugwu et al., 2014:
382). As indicated by Lin (2010) work engagement development is a perplexing
procedure attributable to the hidden idea of the forerunners of corporate
citizenship and the go between of organizational trust. It is vital to remember
that work engagement isn't recently absolutely determined by employees'
close to home needs, yet in addition by the social needs refined by the
organization. Hassan and Ahmed (2011) claims that organizational trust
prompts wide and various advantages for people who are occupied with
specific associations. Past studies have exhibited that expansion in trust result
specifically or by implication in more positive working environment practices
and mentalities like organizational commitment and employees' work
engagement. Employees working in a trustable organization liable to see more
assets in their workplace, which would drive them to be more occupied with
their work. For instance, when employees trust that their boss and associates
are skilled they feel sure that they can depend on their director and colleagues
to give technical support when they to experience work related issues (Chugtai
and Buckley, 2008: 63). According to Agarwal (2014) employees who feel
engaged and display engagement behavior are taking some initiatives in doing
so. This may be because engagement involves investing one’s energy in pursuit
of organizational goals. Unless employees trust their organizations, they will
not be motivated to engage with their task. According to Tabak and Hendy
(2016) if employees gains trust on their organizations they usually get engaged
to their organizations and they display positive attitudes and attentiveness to
others’ needs.
II. AIMS, SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY
This research aims to examine organizational trust and work engagement
levels of logistics employees and also aims to investigate the impact of
organizational trust on work engagement. In this reserch, Cummings and
Bromiley (1996) Organizational Trust Inventory (OTI) and Schaufeli et al. (2006)
Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) are used. The questionnaire form
consists of three parts. First part contains demographic characteristics of the
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respondents; the second part includes the OTI 5-Likert scale items and finally
UWES-9 5-Likert items constitute the third part.
The research has been conducted with the employees of logistics firms which
are located in Izmir between July and September 2017. The sample of the
research is Izmir based and Association of International Forwarding and
Logistics Service Providers (UTİKAD) member logistics firms. With convenient
sampling method 11 firms have been selected from total 22 Izmir based
UTİKAD member logistics firms. The regarded permissions have been taken
from these firms and the questionnaire application conducted with their
employees. The total population of 22 firms is 513 employees and the 11 firms
which are volunteered to participate in the research constitute a population of
247 employees. With a 47,4 % respond rate total 117 usable questionnaire
forms were collected. The data gathered from the surveys are analyzed with
SPSS 20.0. In the analysis of data; reliability analysis (Cronbach’s Alpha),
descriptive statistics and also for the test of the research hypothesis,
regression analysis have been used.
III. FINDINGS
Table 1 shows the demographic characteristics of the respondents.
Table 1. Demographic Characteristics of the Respondents
Gender
Number (n)
Percentage (%)
Male
60
51,3
Female
57
48,7
Total
117
100
Age
Number (n)
Percentage (%)
22-27
48
41,0
28-33
40
34,2
34-39
17
14,5
40 and more
12
10,3
Total
117
100
Education
Number (n)
Percentage (%)
High School
5
4,3
Associate Degree
5
4,3
Bachelor Degree
92
78,6
Post Graduate Degree
15
12,8
Total
117
100
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Most of the respondents are bachelors. The majority of the respondents in the
distribution according to the departments constitute the operation
department with 56 people and the marketing and sales department with 30
people. With 56 respondents 1-4 year experienced personnel form the biggest
portion of the sample.
According to the reliability analysis results in Table 2, the organizational trust
inventory with 12 items has a value of 0,943 Cronbach's alpha. Utrecht Work
Engagement Scale (UWES-9) includes 9 items and has a Cronbach's alpha value
of 0,965. These results suggest that both scales have high reliability.
Table 2. Reliability Statistics of the Scales
Scales
Number of
Items (n)
Cronbach’s
Alpha
Organizational Trust
Inventory
12
0,943
Utrecht Work
Engagement Scale
9
0,965
In Table 3, findings of descriptive statistics of frequency, mean and standard
deviation of organizational trust statements are found. The majority of the
statements has high average value (4.00 and above), it can be concluded that
the organizational trust level of employees is high. Table 3.4 shows the
frequency, mean and standard deviation descriptive statistics of work
engagement statements. Most of the statements has high average value (4.00
and above), so that it is possible to interpret that the engagement of the
employees to the work is high.
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Table 3. Descriptive Statistics of Organizational Trust Inventory Items
Organizational Trust Inventory Items
1 (SD)
2 (D)
3 (NN)
4 (A)
5 (SA)
Mean
Standard
Deviation
N
%
N
%
N
%
N
%
N
%
1
I think the people in the organization I am employed
at tell the truth.
1
0,9
11
9,4
17
14,5
52
44,4
36
30,8
4,2991
1,0526
2
I think that the organization I am employed at meets
its negotiated obligations.
4
3,4
3
2,6
16
13,7
54
46,2
40
34,2
4,0513
0,9454
3
In my opinion, the organization I am employed at is
reliable.
2
1,7
7
6,0
2
1,7
41
35,0
65
55,6
4,3675
0,9153
4
I think that the people in the organization I am
employed at succeed by stepping on other people.
(R)*
4
3,4
7
6,0
12
10,3
38
32,5
56
47,9
4,1538
1,0554
5
I feel that the organization I am employed at tries to
get upper hand. (R)*
6
5,1
10
8,5
20
17,1
38
32,5
43
36,8
3,8718
1,1562
6
I think that the organization I am employed at takes
advantage of its employees’ problems. (R)*
3
2,6
9
7,7
8
6,8
33
28,2
64
54,7
4,2479
1,0496
7
I feel that the organization I am employed at
negotiates with its employees honestly.
4
3,4
8
6,8
18
15,4
42
35,9
45
38,5
3,9915
1,0626
8
I feel that the organization I am employed at will
keep its word.
3
2,6
9
7,7
16
13,7
44
37,6
45
38,5
4,0171
1,0337
9
I think the organization I am employed at does not
mislead us.
2
1,7
8
6,8
9
7,7
48
41,0
50
42,7
4,1624
0,9555
10
I feel that the organization I am employed at tries to
get out of its commitments. (R)*
2
1,7
8
6,8
11
9,4
39
33,3
57
48,7
4,2051
0,9873
11
I feel that the organization I am employed at
negotiates joint expectations fairly.
5
4,3
5
4,3
20
17,1
42
35,9
45
38,5
4,0000
1,0586
12
I feel that the organization I am employed at takes
advantage of its employees who are vulnerable. (R)*
4
3,4
7
6,0
7
6,0
31
26,5
68
58,1
4,2991
1,0526
Note: SD: Strongly Disagree, D: Disagree, NN: Neither agree nor disagree, A: Agree, SA: Strongly Agree.
(R)* Reverse Questions were reflected (i.e; 1=5, 2=4, 3=3, 4=2, 5=1) before competing scale scores.
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Table 4. Descriptive Statistics of Utrecht Work Engagement Scale Items
Utrecht Work Engagement Scale Items
1
2
3
4
5
Mean
Standard
Deviation
N
%
N
%
N
%
N
%
N
%
1
At my work, I feel bursting with
energy.
2
1,7
7
6,0
16
13,7
41
35,0
51
43,6
4,1282
0,9785
2
At my job, I feel strong and vigorous.
2
1,7
5
4,3
17
14,5
42
35,9
51
43,6
4,1538
0,9433
3
I am enthusiastic about my job.
3
2,6
6
5,1
14
12,0
39
33,3
55
47,0
4,1709
1,0025
4
My job inspires me.
3
2,6
5
4,3
20
17,1
38
32,5
51
43,6
4,1026
1,0033
5
When I get up in the morning, I feel
like going to work.
5
4,3
11
9,4
23
19,7
35
29,9
43
36,8
3,8547
1,1467
6
I feel happy when I am working
intensely.
3
2,6
8
6,8
22
18,8
28
23,9
56
47,9
4,0769
1,0840
7
I proud of work that I do.
1
0,9
3
2,6
17
14,5
36
30,8
60
51,3
4,2906
0,8715
8
I am immersed in my work.
2
1,7
2
1,7
12
10,3
46
39,3
55
47,0
4,2821
0,8494
9
I get carried away when I am working.
2
1,7
3
2,6
19
16,2
35
29,9
58
49,6
4,2308
0,9320
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Table 5 details organizational trust levels according to the demographic
characteristics of the employees. The average value of the organizational trust
levels of female employees is 4,2456, while the male employees are 3,9819.
The associate degree graduates’ employees have the highest organizational
trust average value.
Table 5. Organizational Trust Levels of Respondents According to Demographic
Characteristics (1/2)
Gender
Scale
n
Mean
Standard
Deviation
Male
Organizational Trust Level
60
3,9819
0,8261
Female
Organizational Trust Level
57
4,2456
0,7596
Age
Scale
n
Mean
Standard
Deviation
22-27
Organizational Trust Level
48
4,0451
0,8894
28-33
Organizational Trust Level
40
4,2438
0,6955
34-39
Organizational Trust Level
17
4,0147
0,8641
40 and more
Organizational Trust Level
12
4,0625
0,7081
Education
Scale
n
Mean
Standard
Deviation
High School
Organizational Trust Level
5
3,8000
0,7467
Associate Degree
Organizational Trust Level
5
4,6000
0,456
Bachelor Degree
Organizational Trust Level
92
4,0534
0,8323
Post Graduate Degree
Organizational Trust Level
15
4,4000
0,8019
Department
Scale
n
Mean
Standard
Deviation
Documentation
Organizational Trust Level
22
4,3712
0,6904
Marketing and Sales
Organizational Trust Level
30
4,0833
0,8173
Operation
Organizational Trust Level
56
3,9881
0,8415
Top Management
Organizational Trust Level
9
4,3241
0,6620
Position
Scale
n
Mean
Standard
Deviation
Assistant Specialist
Organizational Trust Level
38
3,8596
0,8806
Specialist
Organizational Trust Level
41
4,2825
0,7194
Department Manager
Organizational Trust Level
23
4,2391
0,7244
Area Manager/Branch
Manager
Organizational Trust Level
6
4,4861
0,3136
Director
Organizational Trust Level
9
3,8056
0,9682
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Table 5. Organizational Trust Levels of Respondents According to Demographic
Characteristics (2/2)
Sector Experience
Scale
n
Mean
Standard
Deviation
Less than 1 year
Organizational Trust Level
7
4,0357
0,8005
1-4 years
Organizational Trust Level
45
4,0426
0,9004
5-9 years
Organizational Trust Level
35
4,1810
0,6677
10-14 years
Organizational Trust Level
15
4,1444
0,7588
15 years and more
Organizational Trust Level
15
4,1500
0,9026
Working Year in
Organization
Scale
n
Mean
Standard
Deviation
Less than 1 year
Organizational Trust Level
25
4,3067
0,7433
1-4 years
Organizational Trust Level
56
3,9554
0,8705
5-9 years
Organizational Trust Level
22
4,2386
0,6497
10 years and more
Organizational Trust Level
14
4,1786
0,7877
Table 6 details the level of work engagement according to the demographic
characteristics of the employees.
Table 6. Work Engagement Levels of Respondents According to Demographic
Characteristics (1/2)
Gender
Scale
n
Mean
Standard
Deviation
Male
Work Engagement Level
60
4,1815
0,8744
Female
Work Engagement Level
57
4,1033
0,8715
Age
Scale
n
Mean
Standard
Deviation
22-27
Work Engagement Level
48
3,9676
0,9770
28-33
Work Engagement Level
40
4,2472
0,7402
34-39
Work Engagement Level
17
4,2288
0,9690
40 and more
Work Engagement Level
12
4,3796
0,5926
Education
Scale
n
Mean
Standard
Deviation
High School
Work Engagement Level
5
3,8667
0,8292
Associate Degree
Work Engagement Level
5
4,7556
0,4331
Bachelor Degree
Work Engagement Level
92
4,0749
0,9161
Post Graduate Degree
Work Engagement Level
15
4,4519
0,5236
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Table 6. Work Engagement Levels of Respondents According to Demographic
Characteristics (2/2)
Department
Scale
n
Mean
Standard
Deviation
Documentation
Work Engagement Level
22
4,1515
0,8610
Marketing and Sales
Work Engagement Level
30
4,0667
1,0231
Operation
Work Engagement Level
56
4,1349
0,8349
Top Management
Work Engagement Level
9
4,4321
0,5731
Position
Scale
n
Mean
Standard
Deviation
Assistant Specialist
Work Engagement Level
38
3,7690
0,9337
Specialist
Work Engagement Level
41
4,2791
0,7154
Department Manager
Work Engagement Level
23
4,4348
0,8527
Area Manager/Branch
Manager
Work Engagement Level
6
4,5370
0,4787
Director
Work Engagement Level
9
4,0988
1,0591
Sector Experience
Scale
n
Mean
Standard
Deviation
Less than 1 year
Work Engagement Level
7
4,0317
0,9786
1-4 years
Work Engagement Level
45
3,9827
0,9314
5-9 years
Work Engagement Level
35
4,1143
0,8028
10-14 years
Work Engagement Level
15
4,5778
0,5684
15 years and more
Work Engagement Level
15
4,3111
0,9615
Working Year in
Organization
Scale
n
Mean
Standard
Deviation
Less than 1 year
Work Engagement Level
25
4,3111
0,8057
1-4 years
Work Engagement Level
56
3,9603
0,9868
5-9 years
Work Engagement Level
22
4,1919
0,6650
10 years and more
Work Engagement Level
14
4,5000
0,6190
The work engagement levels of the male and female employees to is very close
to each other. It has been determined that the work engagement level of
employees in the age group 22-27 is lower than those in the other age groups.
This finding can be explained by the fact that the employees in this age group
are newly introduced into the business life and in a transition period.
H1: Organizational trust has a significant positive effect on work engagement.
H1 hypothesis was tested by regression analysis. The dependent variable is
work engagement and the independent variable is organizational trust. H1
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hypothesis was supported according to the analysis results. There is a positive
(ß: 0,737) and significant (sig.<0,05) effect of organizational trust on the work
engagement.
Table 7. Results of Regression Analysis for the Effect of Organizational Trust on
Work Engagement
Independent Variable
Dependent Variable
Work Engagement
β
t
Sig.
Organizational Trust
0,737
11,680
0,00*
F
136,430
0,00*
R2
0,543
Adj. R2
0,539
IV. CONCLUSION
Organizational trust and work engagement are popular organizational behavior
subjects among the researchers. Both concepts have very important impacts
for organizations and also employees. Trust in the organization affects the
employees’ performance positively by increasing the commitment level of
employees to their work. This situation is reflected in the organizations' human
capital as an added-value. To the best of authors knowledge, there is not a
similar study examining the relationship between organizational trust and
work engagement in the context of logistics sector. Therefore, with this
research it has been aimed to contribute to this existing gap in the literature.
In this research, firstly, the organizational trust and work engagement level of
logistics sector employees were examined. The results of the research
revealed that the perceptions of logistics employees about their organizational
trust and engagement to their work are considerably high. According to
demographic characteristics, the highest organizational trust levels in respect
to distribution in groups are belong to; female (gender), 28-33 years old (age),
associate degree (education), documentation and top management
(department) and area manager/branch manager (position) participants. The
work engagement levels of the male and female employees to is very close to
each other. The highest work engagement levels in respect to distribution in
groups are belong to those respondents; 40 and more years old (age),
associate degree (education), top management (department), manager
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(position), 10-14 years (sector experienced), 10 years and more (working
years).
According to analysis of the research, it has been determined that there is a
positive and significant effect of organizational trust on the work engagement.
This result has been supported the findings of similar previous researches
(Chugtai, and Buckley, 2008; Lin, 2010; Agarwal, 2014; Ugwu, et al., 2014; and
Gülbahar, 2017). Thus, it is possible to say that an employee with a high level
of organizational trust will be more likely to be engaged in her/his work.
There have been some limitations faced during this research process. The
primary and the most coercive limitation of the study was the time constraint.
The research first planned to reach all the employees of İzmir-based UTİKAD
member logistics firms. But only 117 office employees from 11 logistics firms
could be included in the research due to the time constraint and their seasonal
workload. The research could be enhanced by spreading the sample
throughout the country without being bound to a particular region. And also
some mediating variables such as empowerment and organizational citizenship
behaviors etc. between the organizational trust and work engagement could
be investigated.
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