The value of social exchanges in building links between fairness and trust in multinational mining organizations

Trust between employees and managers are built through words and deeds over time. The same is true for multinational corporations and governments as they focus on jointly working toward their mutual interests in a socially responsible manner. This paper discusses trust between multinational mining corporations and indigenous local government officials of the host nation, and the challenges they face when dealing with local residents. The relationship between these mining workers and the multinational mining corporation has become somewhat frayed as the speed of globalization and demand for consumer items have accelerated. This places pressure on multinational corporations to deliver their goods more efficiently than they are sometimes prepared to do. In that process, conflict between these mining corporations and the local miners, have become increasingly routine. In this paper, the authors present a discussion of social exchange theories as they relate to trust, fairness and overall perception of justice among employees and local residents. Recommendations are offered for enhancing their relationships and mutual interests.