Building and Maintaining Trust “Even When Things Aren’t Going Well”: Meta-Regulation Through an Explicit Psychological Contract

Nicola Burgess; Graeme Currie; Tina Kiefer; John G. Richmond; Julian  Hartley

doi:10.1111/puar.13956

Building and Maintaining Trust “Even When Things Aren’t Going Well”: Meta-Regulation Through an Explicit Psychological Contract

Nicola Burgess, Graeme Currie, Tina Kiefer, John G. Richmond, Julian Hartley

The York Management School

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Hierarchical relationships between government regulators and public services providers often
lead to dysfunctional behaviors that negatively impact service delivery. Meta-regulation
encompassing continuous learning towards sustainable service improvement involving both
parties could offer a more effective regulatory approach. Mutual trust is crucial for this
approach but is often absent. Drawing on psychological contract theory and an empirical study in the English NHS, this research illustrates how an explicit psychological contract (EPC) can
facilitate building and maintaining trust, even through challenging times. Our ethnographic
observations reveal how a regular face-to-face meeting between regulators and hospital leaders provided a stable context through which the EPC could be operationalized to make fulfillment and breach visible, prompting responses that served to build and maintain trust. However, some breaches were deliberately kept hidden to protect trust and shared goals. We conclude the EPC is a pivotal mechanism to support a meta-regulatory approach in complex regulatory contexts.

Original language	English
Journal	Public Administration Review
Early online date	13 Apr 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13956
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 13 Apr 2025

Bibliographical note

This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the University’s Research Publications and Open Access policy.

Access to Document

10.1111/puar.13956

Final_Manuscript_1_1
This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the University’s Research Publications and Open Access policy.
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Cite this

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title = "Building and Maintaining Trust “Even When Things Aren{\textquoteright}t Going Well”: Meta-Regulation Through an Explicit Psychological Contract",

abstract = "Hierarchical relationships between government regulators and public services providers oftenlead to dysfunctional behaviors that negatively impact service delivery. Meta-regulationencompassing continuous learning towards sustainable service improvement involving bothparties could offer a more effective regulatory approach. Mutual trust is crucial for thisapproach but is often absent. Drawing on psychological contract theory and an empirical study in the English NHS, this research illustrates how an explicit psychological contract (EPC) canfacilitate building and maintaining trust, even through challenging times. Our ethnographicobservations reveal how a regular face-to-face meeting between regulators and hospital leaders provided a stable context through which the EPC could be operationalized to make fulfillment and breach visible, prompting responses that served to build and maintain trust. However, some breaches were deliberately kept hidden to protect trust and shared goals. We conclude the EPC is a pivotal mechanism to support a meta-regulatory approach in complex regulatory contexts.",

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AU - Richmond, John G.

AU - Hartley, Julian

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