Starting a new job usually means a stack of documents, logins and introductions. But many newcomers say the harder part is working out whether it is safe to speak up, ask a question or suggest a better way. A 2025 study asked when trust in coworkers helps newcomers bring new ideas. The answer was: sometimes, depending on the kind of conflict around them.
Three researchers, based at the University of Montreal, Toronto Metropolitan University and McMaster University, published the study in the Journal of Applied Psychology in 2025. They were interested in newcomers, who are often expected not only to fit in but also to improve things.
The field study followed 181 pairs, each made up of a newcomer and their supervisor, in three waves over time. Data came from both members of each pair, which reduces the problem of one person reporting everything. The researchers looked at how much newcomers trusted their coworkers, whether newcomers felt psychologically safe (safe to speak up and be themselves without fear of punishment), and how innovative their work behaviour was.
They also looked at two kinds of conflict with coworkers. Task conflict is disagreement about the work itself, such as ideas, methods or priorities. Relationship conflict is personal friction or hostility. A second study, a scenario-based experiment with 407 people, tested the same ideas by describing situations and asking how participants would respond.
In the field study, trust in coworkers was associated with newcomers feeling more psychologically safe, and psychological safety was in turn associated with more innovative work behaviour. Psychological safety was the key link between trust and innovation.
The link depended on conflict. Trust was linked to greater psychological safety, and then to more innovation, only when task conflict was high or, alternatively, when relationship conflict was low. When those conditions were not met, the effect did not appear in the same way.
In plain terms, newcomers who trusted their coworkers seemed to benefit most when the group was willing to disagree about the work, or when relationships were free of hostility. The scenario experiment gave additional support. It suggested that newcomers’ uncertainty about whether they could express their authentic selves played a part in these conditional effects.
The abstract describes the results as showing conditions that are beneficial, ineffective, or even detrimental to newcomer innovation. That is, the same level of trust did not lead to the same result in every situation.
The result is conditional. It does not support a simple formula in which more trust equals more innovation. In some conditions, trust did not lead to the benefit.
The field study followed a limited number of newcomer-supervisor pairs, and the experiment relied on described scenarios, which cannot capture everything about a real first month at work. The abstract does not state where the participants worked or in what industries, so we cannot say whether the results would apply to a particular Australian workplace. Workplace rules and cultures differ, and nothing here is Australian workplace or legal advice.
The study measured innovative work behaviour as reported in the study, not whether the ideas were good or were adopted. It also does not say that all conflict is good. The finding about high task conflict concerns disagreement about work, not personal attacks. Where relationship conflict is high, including bullying or harassment, the safe thing is to seek help, and this study does not suggest putting up with it for the sake of ideas. If you are experiencing bullying, harassment or fear at work, the points above do not apply to you; your employer’s processes, a union, or an advisory service can explain your options, and in Australia, Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and 000 is for emergencies.
For teams, the study points to a practical idea. An onboarding plan that covers only forms and systems may leave out the thing that determines whether a new person speaks up: whether they believe it is safe, and whether disagreements are about the work rather than the person. How to build that in a specific team is something the study does not test.
Source: How and when does trust in coworkers make newcomers more innovative? The dual roles of psychological safety and interpersonal conflict DOI: 10.1037/apl0001297
Illustration of a welcoming workplace where a new employee can contribute. AI-generated editorial illustration. This article summarises published research in our own words and is general information, not personal health advice.
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