An analysis of the antecedents of trust in the leader of a special operations police unit

Abstract This article aims to widen the understanding of informal coordination elements in the management of teams working in complex and unpredictable scenarios. It presents the results of a study carried out in a special operations police unit, the Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais do Rio de Janeiro (Bope/RJ), using quantitative methods. The study analyzed the relationship between the antecedents of trust and power distance and personal and professional trust in the leader. The results confirm a direct and negative relationship between power distance and professional trust in the leader, and a direct and positive relationship with some antecedents of trust. The greater the perceptions of internal communication quality, and sharing and delegation of authority in the decision process, the greater the trust in the leader.