Addressing the employee trust crisis through commitment-based human resource management strategies

Abstract

The employee trust crisis represents a serious organizational challenge that may undermine productivity and organizational commitment. This study analyzes a commitment-based human resource management strategy for addressing the employee trust crisis at Ari Canti Hospital, Bali. The crisis emerged following the implementation of a non-transparent remuneration system in 2016, which contributed to quiet quitting, reflected in an extremely low level of interest in internal recruitment, ranging from 0% to 3.3% among more than 200 potential candidates, and a decline in employee satisfaction to 60% in 2025. This study employed a qualitative case study design. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observation, and document analysis involving the hospital’s management and employees. The analysis was structured around four management functions: planning, organizing, implementation, and control. The findings indicate that the commitment-based human resource strategy was optimally planned through three pillars of trust. The organizing function was also effectively implemented through the repositioning of the human resource unit as a strategic partner and the establishment of the Suka Duka Team as an employee representative body. However, the implementation function was not fully effective because line coordinators experienced difficulties in translating the strategy into concrete managerial practices. Consequently, the expected affective commitment had not been fully established. Control was identified as the area requiring the greatest improvement due to inconsistent mentoring at the line-management level. The study concludes that the effectiveness of commitment-based human resource management in rebuilding employee trust requires consistent and sustainable alignment among planning, organizing, implementation, and control.