Personal determinants of trust in Arctic ships’ crews

The article discusses some theoretical aspects of the psychology of trust in groups and organizations and contains a review of several studies devoted to the influence of personal attributes on trust in communication. It discusses the results of an empirical study concerning a topical issue that has been little studied, namely the personal determinants of trust among members of ships’ crews operating in the Arctic. A comparison of crew members’ personality profiles showed that those demonstrating the same level of trust have particular attributes that make it possible to speak of a distinctive psychological type. The results of the study showed that among the characteristics which are regularly manifested by members of Arctic ships’ crews are emotional stability, self-control over behavior and emotions, low anxiety levels, courage, the strength of character, as well as a propensity for sociability, trustfulness, and conformity. Whether a person trusts other crew members depends on such personal attributes as trustfulness, sociability, emotional stability, self-confidence, and a propensity for compliance with group norms. Such values as belevolence and universalism prevail in the value structure demonstrated by crew members, which is reflected in goodwill, empathy, understanding, positive interaction in the group, and a propensity for fostering the well-being of the group. Crew members with a high level of trust are characterized by group values; they believe in the importance of traditions and their observance. Crew members with a low level of trust usually have individual values (a need for strong emotions and new impressions), with group values being less important to them. The results of the study show that there is a strong correlation between trustful interaction in a crew and the personal characteristics of crew members.