ABSTRACT

Purpose. Trust within organizations is a central determinant of employee commitment and institutional effectiveness, especially in higher education facing rapid change. While previous research has established links between trust in supervisors and organizational commitment (OC), there is a significant gap concerning the distinct effects of affective and cognitive trust on OC among faculty within the Saudi Arabian higher education context. This study was designed to address this empirical and contextual gap by examining how affective and cognitive trust in supervisors independently and jointly predict faculty organizational commitment in three major Riyadh universities. Methodology A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 131 faculty members, utilizing validated scales for trust (McAllister, 1995) and OC (Mowday et al., 1979). Results Using correlation and multiple regression analysis, the findings reveal that both trust dimensions have strong, positive associations with OC, with overall trust accounting for 84.8% of the variance in commitment. Furthermore, moderation analysis indicated that affective trust buffers the negative effects of role ambiguity, while cognitive trust mitigates the impact of role conflict on OC. These results provide novel empirical evidence for the importance of differentiating types of trust in supervisor-faculty relationships in Saudi higher education—a previously underexplored setting. Implications for research and practice. Implications are discussed for leadership practice and HR policy, emphasizing trust-building as a key strategy for faculty retention and institutional performance.