PUBLIC TRUST AS A BRIDGE BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY, SOCIETY, AND SUSTAINABILITY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.68302/std2026.vol3.158Keywords:
trust, digital transformation, strategic communication, ethical governance, sustainabilityAbstract
The accelerating processes of digital and energy transformation are fundamentally reshaping contemporary societies, economies, and governance systems. While technological innovation and the transition to sustainable energy are essential for long-term development, their success increasingly depends on the level of public trust. In this context, trust emerges as a critical factor and a central mechanism linking technological advancement with societal acceptance and sustainability outcomes.
Growing concerns related to data privacy, algorithmic opacity, misinformation, and perceived inequalities in energy access challenge public trust and, consequently, the legitimacy of institutional and corporate actors, as well as broader systems of governance and security. The discussion is positioned within an interdisciplinary framework that integrates perspectives from technological sciences, communication studies, and sustainability governance. The present study aims to examine the key components of public trust, as well as the factors generating uncertainty in the context of technological transformation.
The author’s contribution lies in advancing the existing scholarly debate on the social dimensions of technological transformation by offering practical insights for experts and organizations seeking to align innovation with societal expectations through trust-based approaches.
Downloads
References
[1] IBM, “What is zero trust?” [Online]. Available: https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/zero-trust Accessed: Apr. 27, 2026].
[2] Google Cloud, “What is zero trust?” [Online]. Available: https://cloud.google.com/learn/what-is-zero-trust [Accessed: Apr. 27, 2026].
[3] Richard Edelman, “Insularity: The Next Crisis of Trust,” Edelman, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.edelman.com/newsroom/richard-edelmans-6am-blog/insularity-next-crisis-trust. [Accessed: Apr. 2, 2026]
[4] Edelman, Edelman Trust Barometer 2026: Global Report, Edelman Data & Intelligence, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://www.edelman.com/sites/g/files/aatuss191/files/2026-01/2026%20Edelman%20Trust%20Barometer%20Global%20Report_01.21.26_0.pdf. [Accessed: Apr. 11, 2026].
[5] N. Luhmann, Trust and Power. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 1979.
[6] F. Fukuyama, Trust: The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity. New York: Free Press, 1995.
[7] Edelman, 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer: Global Report, Edelman, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.edelman.com/trust/2024/trust-barometer. [Accessed: Apr. 27, 2026].
[8] Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Building Trust to Reinforce Democracy: Main Findings from the 2021 OECD Survey on Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions. Paris: OECD Publishing, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1787/b407f99c-en. [Accessed: Apr. 27, 2026].
[9] World Bank, World Development Report 2017: Governance and the Law. Washington, DC: World Bank, 2017. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-0950-7. [Accessed: Apr. 27, 2026].
[10] European Commission, Eurobarometer: Public Opinion in the European Union, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer. [Accessed: Apr. 27, 2026].
[11] European Commission, White Paper On Artificial Intelligence - A European approach to excellence and trus . https://op.europa.eu/bg/publication-detail/-/publication/ac957f13-53c6-11ea-aece-01aa75ed71a1 [Accessed: Apr. 29, 2026].
[12] L. Hon and J. E. Grunig, Guidelines for Measuring Relationships in Public Relations. Gainesville, FL: Institute for Public Relations, 1999. https://instituteforpr.org/wp-content/uploads/Guidelines_Measuring_Relationships.pdf . [Accessed: Apr. 21, 2026].
[13] Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), OECD Guidelines on Measuring Trust, 2017. [Online]. Available: https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2017/11/oecd-guidelines-on-measuring-trust_g1g7ca1c/9789264278219-en.pdf. [Accessed: Apr. 3, 2026].
[14] Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions 2024 Results, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2024/07/oecd-survey-on-drivers-of-trust-in-public-institutions-2024-results_eeb36452/9a20554b-en.pdf. [Accessed: Apr. 3, 2026].
[15] T. R. Tyler, Why People Obey the Law. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2006.
[16] T. T. Herden, E. Alliu, A. Cakici, et al., “Corporate digital responsibility,” Journal of Business Research, vol. 122, pp. 870–888, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8250868/. [Accessed: Apr. 11, 2026].
[17] I. Gigauri and V. Vasilev, “Corporate Social Responsibility in the Energy Sector: Towards Sustainability,” in Energy Transition, pp. 267–288, 2022.
[18] I. Gigauri and V. P. Vasilev, “Paradigm shift in corporate responsibility to the new era of ESG and social entrepreneurship,” in Sustainable Growth and Global Social Development in Competitive Economies, pp. 22–41, 2023.
[19] V. Vasilev, D. Stefanova, and M. Icheva, “Green human resource management as a component of sustainable organizational development,” in ENVIRONMENT. TECHNOLOGY. RESOURCES. Proceedings, 2024.
[20] S. Yıldırım and V. Vasilev, “The Future of Green Collar Workers: Green Transition in Employment,” in Green Transition Impacts on the Economy, Society, and Environment, S. Yıldırım, D. Yıldırım, I. Demirtaş, and V. Kandpal, Eds. IGI Global Scientific Publishing, 2024, pp. 1-16. doi: 10.4018/979-8-3693-3985-5.ch001.
[21] V. Serafimova and V. Vasilev, “Digital culture as a competitive advantage in the sustainable development of organizations,” AGORA International Journal of Economical Sciences, 2024.
[22] V. Vasilev, D. Stefanova, and C. Popescu, “Human capital management and digitalization – From good practices and traditions to sustainable development,” 2023. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83753-190-520231004
[23] V. Vasilev and I. Efremovski, Organizational Culture and Employee Motivation – Theoretical Foundations and Best Practices. Sofia: Propeler, 2017.
[24] M. Modeva, “Opportunities and advantages of the application of artificial intelligence in tourism,” Multidisciplinary Journal of Science, Education and Art, 2025.
[25] D. Stefanova, K. Bacheva, and V. Vasilev, “Conceptual convergence: Disinformation, fake news, and information influence as a triad of security threats in the context of Society 5.0,” in ENVIRONMENT. TECHNOLOGY. RESOURCES. Proceedings of the International Scientific and Practical Conference, vol. 5, pp. 291–296, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.17770/etr2025vol5.8470. [Accessed: Apr. 27, 2026].
[26] K. Rannenberg, D. Royer, and A. Deuker, The Future of Identity in the Information Society: Challenges and Opportunities. Berlin: Springer, 2009.
[27] M. Yankova, “Transparency in public relations activities – a fundamental principle for effective communication and building public trust,” Yearbook of the Department of Philosophical and Political Sciences, vol. XIV/2024, pp. 49–55, Blagoevgrad: University Press “Neofit Rilski,” 2024. ISSN 2683-0973. [Online]. Available: http://press.swu.bg/images/yearbooks/%D0%93%D0%9E%D0%94%D0%98%D0%A8%D0%9D%D0%98%D0%9A%20%D0%BA%D0%BD.%202024.pdf [Accessed: Apr. 11, 2026].
[28] D. P. Stefanova, V. P. Vasilev, and I. P. Efremovski, “Re-Innovative Organizational Design: Sustainable Branding and Effective Communication - Applied Models in a World With New Borders/Without Borders,” in Handbook of Research on Achieving Sustainable Development Goals With Sustainable Marketing, pp. 112–127, 2023. doi: 10.4018/978-1-6684-8681-8.ch006. Available: https://www.igi-global.com/gateway/chapter/325452#pnlRecommendationForm. [Accessed: Feb. 11, 2025].
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Dimitrina Stefanova, Kristiana Bacheva, Valentin Vasilev
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
