| In this qualitative research study the researcher explored the phenomenon of trust at the interpersonal level. The study sought to answer the question, How to sustain trust in the financial advisor and client relationship? The purpose of the study was to discover and gain an understanding of the client meaning of trust in the financial advisor and client relationship and to gain insights into the lived experiences of each client, in context of the 2007-08 U.S. economic and financial crises. This phenomenological inquiry on trust was designed and structured to have a conceptual framework organized thematically with subtopics that relate to the themes. The researcher examined the theoretical literature and empirical research on the phenomenon of trust. For data collection, the researcher used an interview protocol with open-ended questions. The study was based on in-depth interviews with 17 client participants of a local investment banking firm. For data analysis, the researcher used ATLAS.ti7, computer-assisted, Qualitative Data Analysis Software Package. The researcher used qualitative descriptive methods and thematic coding to interpret the data and to create understanding and meaning. Findings indicate that clients desire a personal and professional relationship, good and regular communications and expect the highest professional and ethical standards. The study concluded that clients desire a profoundly deep personal relationship with a professional and ethical advisor who provides good and frequent communications. The researcher's goal was to establish this study as an opportunity for future work on the dissertation.;Keywords: Interpersonal, Organizational, Trust, Financial Advisor and Client Relationship. |
