Highlighting the Hidden: Putting a Spotlight on Vulnerability Within Organizations

The five presentations tackle different questions about the vulnerability associated with organizational life. The session begins with defining the construct space and exploring what we currently know about vulnerability—what it is and what it is not. The symposium then focuses on trust—an area of management research that includes vulnerability in its major theories (e.g., Mayer et al., 1995). Vulnerability and trust are discussed through the perspective of stress, in which the vulnerability experienced by trustors is explained using principles of cognitive appraisal. Additionally, vulnerability is conceptualized temporally, in which the duration of vulnerability after information sharing helps to explain the relationship between transparency and trust. Finally, the symposium presentations end with empirical studies of underprivileged workers and their experiences with AI-mediated HRM, as well as low-wage workers and how volatile pay influences their well-being. Following the formal presentations, the discussant will then lead a conversation with the audience and presenters that integrates each respective set of insights.