Trust and organisational effectiveness

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to discuss the relationship between the concepts of social capital and organisational effectiveness in a library setting. Design/methodology/approach The concepts are discussed in relation to two studies of information behaviour. One of the studies is a local public library study and the second is a nationwide survey into high school students' information behaviour. Findings The data indicate a discrepancy between the development of (especially) public library services and the perceptions of a library in the mind of both users and non‐users. Research limitations/implications It has only been possible to raise a few questions on the basis of the two surveys. However, these questions relate to the theoretical concepts introduced in the beginning of this paper. Originality/value The paper highlights discrepancies that need to be remedied if the trust that is so important for public institutions is to continue to be at a high level.