Is Firm Trust Essential in a Trusted Environment? How Trust in the Business Context Influences Customers

Customers are influenced not only by how much they trust a company and its representatives but also by how much they trust the broader context in which the market exchange is taking place. In this article, the authors test two rival sociological perspectives regarding the influence of customer trust...

Ausführliche Beschreibung

Bibliographische Detailangaben
Veröffentlicht in:Journal of Marketing Research. - American Marketing Association. - 45(2008), 2, Seite 241-256
1. Verfasser: Grayson, Kent (VerfasserIn)
Weitere Verfasser: Johnson, Devon, Chen, Der-Fa Robert
Format: Online-Aufsatz
Sprache:English
Veröffentlicht: 2008
Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk:Journal of Marketing Research
Schlagworte:trust customer relationship management financial services marketing sociological theories Behavioral sciences Economics Philosophy Business Mathematics
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Customers are influenced not only by how much they trust a company and its representatives but also by how much they trust the broader context in which the market exchange is taking place. In this article, the authors test two rival sociological perspectives regarding the influence of customer trust in the broader context. One perspective proposes that trust in the context replaces trust in individual firms and their representatives. This view suggests that firm/representative trust is not always critical, especially for customers with high trust in the context. An alternative perspective is that trust in the context fosters and legitimates trust in firms and their representatives. This view implies that firm/representative trust is a necessary mediator of the influence of trust in the context. The authors test predictions based on both perspectives, using empirical results from two studies implemented in two countries. The results from both studies support the proposition that trust in firms and their representatives is a necessary mediator of trust in the broader context.
ISSN:00222437