The Importance of Respect in Collaborative Work:

This paper argues that respect, defined as esteem for another person’s abilities and character, is an important factor in successful collaborative work. In making this claim, trust is used as the springboard for why interpersonal attitudes are important in the first place. Respect is first differentiated from trust conceptually, and then examined empirically in simulated top management teams. It is argued that respect will affect the group processes of communication, coordination, and conflict in different ways and through alternate mechanisms than trust. Still, both trust and respect will affect group processes and outcomes. The results support this interpretation. The paper concludes by discussing opportunities for future research on respect as well as trust, and the implications this research has for interpersonal factors besides trust and respect.