The Mediating Effect of Trust on Psychological Safety and Job Satisfaction
Dennis M. Mitterer, Heather E. Mitterer
Abstract
This research aims to assess the relationship of psychological safety and trust on employee job satisfaction. Individual job satisfaction is essential to personal and professional accomplishments, impacting team success, and achieving optimal organizational performance. A safe environment is a critical factor to achieve job satisfaction. When employees feel safe, learning occurs more quickly, peers rely on each other, and team performance improves. Trust in peers and management influences psychological safety development. Therefore, understanding the role of psychological safety and trust in the development of engaged employees is essential. In this paper, we approach the idea that psychological safety is a prerequisite to trust, and we believe trust mediates the relationship between psychological safety and job satisfaction. A quantitative approach using correlation and mediation tested the theory of the effect trust has on psychological safety and job satisfaction. Responses from 283 nurses at a large teaching hospital revealed that psychological safety is linked to job satisfaction and mediated by trust. Overall, this study suggests that psychological safety precedes trust and collectively increases individual job satisfaction. Managers can draw upon the potential, but frequently untapped benefits, of cultivating a safe space by developing a sincere and trusting relationship with employee-partners thus increasing job satisfaction.