Measuring public trust in charities in the UK : an empirical study based on scale development

Yang, Yongjiao

Abstract

This study describes the development and initial utilizations of a scale measuring public trust in charities in the UK. It improves on past empirical studies of public trust in charities by regarding the concept as a multidimensional construct.

The scale is developed first from a conceptual model consisting of five dimensions. Using data from 490 respondents, item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and internal consistency analysis are undertaken, of which results yield a three-factor principal components model of public trust in charities. Confirmatory factor analysis, construct validity analysis, and criterion-related validity analysis, based on another sample of 253 respondents, confirm the validity of the model with a slight modification.

The initial five-factor model of trust in charities derived from literature, which include perceived competence, perceived benevolence, perceived integrity, value similarity, and willingness to be vulnerable, is rejected in favor of a three-factor principal components model. Of the three separate domains of public trust in charities, “perceived integrity” reflects the importance of morality in charity work; “perceived competence” reflects the necessity of charities’ capability to uphold and further public interests; and “value similarity” emphasizes the alignment of values between charities and individuals.

Scale utilization demonstrates that this multidimensional tool will allow the U.K. charitable sector to better understand public trust and perceptions, to discern the manifestations of public trust, as well as to be responsive to trends in trust and perceptions. It can be used to predict pro-charity behaviors, which is helpful to strategically plan and target fundraising techniques. The measure will also remedy drawbacks of current measurement of charity performance.

Overall, the multidimensional scale is accurate, more straightforward, more in-depth, and is able to provide more useful information than current crude measurements of public trust in charities. The study has important implications for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers as it provides a new, robust measure of a feature that is essential to the charitable sector’s welfare.

Citation

Yang, Y. Measuring public trust in charities in the UK : an empirical study based on scale development. (Thesis). University of Hull. https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4218091

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: May 17, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 23, 2023
• Keywords: Social sciences
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4218091
• Additional Information: Department of Social Sciences, The University of Hull
• Award Date: Aug 1, 2015