IMPROVING SOURCE TRUST CALIBRATION IN ENGINEERING TEAMS THROUGH HR-DESIGNED INTERVENTIONS

Abstract

Trust calibration, defined as the alignment of perceived and actual trustworthiness of information sources, becomes especially important in engineering teams where precise and timely collaboration is critical. This study offers a new approach to trust calibration of information sources by applying targeted Human Resource (HR) interventions. Trust miscalibration caused by cognitive biases, role ambiguity, and communication silos is addressed through trust assessment frameworks and trust-building workshops. An embedded mixed-methods evaluation was carried out with three engineering teams over a period of six months. The quantitative data indicate that trust calibration, communication, and project coordination all improved to a statistically significant degree. Additional qualitative data corroborates the need for specialized HR functions to manage the socio-technical systems in engineering teams. The results indicate that trust miscalibration caused by targeted HR-designed interventions is miscalibrated trust in information sources can be enhanced, improving team performance and decision-making accuracy.