| The purpose of this study is to examine the conceptual structure of trust, and investigate the role that dependence plays in determining relationship type and influencing trust. Trust has been studied as a central construct in the current relationship marketing literature. A trusting relationship has been shown to increase relationship quality by establishing better relationship commitment and coordination through increased cooperation and open communications.;Recent trust literature has proposed the multidimensional nature of the construct, yet there is little agreement on the dimensions that should be included in the construction of the trust construct. Three dimensions that have received substantial discussion, but inadequate empirical support, are ability, benevolence, and integrity. The ability dimension examines the skills and expertise of a relationship partner. The benevolence dimension involves the desire of a relationship partner to behave in a manner that shows concern for the welfare of a business partner. The integrity dimension is the general character of a relationship partner including issues such as honesty and fairness.;Dependence has often been mentioned as a necessary condition for establishing a trusting relationship. Dependence on a relationship partner creates vulnerabilities towards that partner. Trust is one mechanism that has been studied that will combat these vulnerabilities. This work builds on the resources dependency framework by examining the influence of relationship type as determined by dependence level on the trust in the relationship.;This dissertation contributes to the marketing literature in two ways. First, it provides empirical support for a three-dimensional model of trust with ability, benevolence, and integrity dimensions. Second, it examines the relationship between dependence form and trust in establishing effective relationship outcomes. |
