Can You Stand the Heat? How Perceptions of Trustworthiness and Expertise are Developed in National Security Advising
Open AccessThis basic interpretive study addresses the research question: What are the characteristics of the experiences that develop perceptions of trustworthiness and perceptions of expertise in the relationship between strategic advisers and national-level leaders? Numerous experiences were identified that develop and maintain the perceptions of trustworthiness and expertise. The developmental trajectories of individual participants were consistently found to include four stages: (1) formative experiences that build reputation; (2) transformative experiences that expand horizons; (3) mid-level advising / mid-level principal experiences that refine awareness; and (4) strategic advising / national-level principal experiences that enhance effectiveness. Seven themes emerged that describe the characteristics of the developmental experiences: (1) they required a deep understanding of the adviser, the principal, other advisers and leaders, the situation, and one’s own domain; (2) they demanded mental closeness between the adviser and the principal; (3) they were continuously built (and could be undone); (4) they involved higher order thinking skills; (5) they acknowledged the exceptionally significant consequences of operating at the national strategic level; (6) they involved a combination of cognition and behavior; and (7) they were both contextually and socially dependent. The study offers recommendations related to theory, practice, and future research.
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Hammersen_gwu_0075A_13515.pdf | 2018-01-16 | Open Access |
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