The Legacy of Distrust in Modern Workplaces

Consciously or not, businesses operate within the principle that their employees cannot be trusted. And this has been the case for over a century.

Join me as we explore some of the historical roots of this mindset. Tracing back to the late 1800s and early 1900s when Scientific Management “revolutionized” workplace practices alongside the growing rise of unionism and the workers rights movement.

It is this cultural context that helped to establish a foundation of distrust between managers and workers—a sentiment that continues to influence modern business policies.

In understanding this, perhaps we will see modern businesses shift towards a more trusting and empowering approach to governance, respecting the competence and integrity of their workforce.