Space Matters: Exploring the Role of Organisational Space in Repairing Organisational Trust

This study advances the field of organisational trust repair by foregrounding a critical yet overlooked dimension: organisational space. While prior research has focused on behavioural and structural strategies – such as apologies, leadership changes or governance reforms – little attention has been paid to how space supports trust repair. Drawing on a qualitative case study of an art auction house recovering from fraud-induced bankruptcy, we explore how organisational space helps rebuild employees’ trust. We identify three spatial practices that restore credibility, legitimacy, and emotional connection. Importantly, our study helps better understand the emotional and sensory aspects of trust repair and shows that organisational space does not merely signal change; it supports healing. We demonstrate that space can act as a symbolic, material and affective resource. This study offers a novel conceptual lens and practical implications, urging scholars and practitioners to view space as an active medium in trust repair.