Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how school superintendents cultivate a culture of trust within their school districts. Methodology. A case study design and semistructured interviews were used to explore the following question: How do school superintendents build trust within their organizations? By exploring school superintendents' approaches to building trust, the study also investigated the extent to which superintendents actively engage in trust-building activities. The researcher utilized a purposeful sampling approach to interview 5 current or former superintendents for this study. For this study, peer reviews were used during the development of the instrument and the data collection. The researcher followed an interview protocol to ensure as high a degree of standardization among the interviews as possible (Stake, 1978; Yin, 2014). In order to validate this study's findings, the researcher conducted member checks with the participants and utilized peer reviews (Creswell, 2013; Lincoln & Guba, 1985; Merriam, 1998; Yin, 2014). Findings. Three major themes emerged with regard to how superintendents cultivate a culture of trust within their organizations. These three themes were as follows: (a) communication, (b) honesty, and (c) listening. Conclusions. The study revealed that superintendents not only value communication as leaders, but that communication is necessary when developing and maintaining trust. The findings showed that the superintendents indicated honesty as a factor throughout the development and perseverance of trust in relationships. The superintendents connected authenticity with trust as well. The findings revealed that the superintendents also considered listening an important aspect of building trust when interacting with others and understanding others' points of view. Recommendations. Future research should explore the perceptions of key stakeholders, such as district and school staff, regarding the development of trust within organizations. This research study has direct implications for trust and leadership development programs. This study adds to the practice in the way that it will help aid the leadership development of superintendents. This study has direct implications for trust and superintendents by making it more likely that, with this additional training, superintendents could have successful tenures serving in their positions.