Abstract
M.Phil.
This study attempts to determine the building blocks and characteristics of trustworthiness. A further purpose is to examine the guidelines, in order to build trustworthiness and interpersonal trust.
The low levels of general trustworthiness within modern society are alarming. Some of the manifestations of this are: the high crime and divorce rate, the number of abandoned or battered children, as well as the vast number of unfulfilling employer-employee relationships.
By means of a word and concept analysis as well as a literary study, the two concepts, namely trust and trustworthiness were explored. Based on this analysis, key building blocks and characteristics of trustworthiness were identified. These were taken through a process of operationalizing, in order to lay a foundation for a potential questionnaire to measure levels of trustworthiness. Such a questionnaire was not covered in this study. Practical guidelines for building trustworthiness and interpersonal trust were studied. These were explored within a personal, interpersonal and professional context.