I have spent most of the summer holidays reading and contemplating the issue of trust within the FE sector. It is the focus of my PhD study, and since the research is both self-led and very lengthy, it is a requirement that the topic surrounding the PhD is of substantial interest. So, trust within the FE sector has become my chosen academic subject “passion”.
I will give an example. Consider this common scenario:
You are a curriculum manager and you are attending a meeting to report the predicted outcomes for your department which is led by a senior manager. There are some areas of concern and you expect this to be a challenging discussion. You expect and trust, as per other similar meetings, that your line manager will work alongside you. You therefore plan to give an honest appraisal of the situation with some identified areas for improvement and areas of action for further discussion. However, on this occasion, the response is not as expected and your manager reacts badly. You are unable to articulate your action plan effectively and you leave the meeting feeling demotivated and incompetent.
What are the main features of this situation?
What are the broader potential impacts of this situation?
Why has this happened?
