The Dimensions of Trust in Salespersons: A Qualitative Research
Keywords:
Trust, salesperson, customerAbstract
The purpose of this study was to identify the dimensions of trust in salespersons and find if customers and salespersons had different perceptions of trust. Unlike the relevant studies in the literature, this study is a qualitative research in which 13 grocers that purchased the products of a distributor firm and 9 salespersons that sold the products to these customers were interviewed. According to the findings of the study, the grocers and salespersons similarly considered honesty, professionalism, ethical conduct, customer orientation and sincerity as important dimensions of trust in salespersons. It was also found in the study that a reliable salesperson could also build trust in the firm. This study might have a theoretical contribution as well because it draws attention to the importance of trust phenomenon for the current and future debates in the field of marketing behaviours. Furthermore, demonstrating the important role played by the salespersons in the relationship management on behalf of their firms, this study might also have a practical contribution as it emphasizes some of the critical human resources policies.
Â
References
Andaleeb, S.S. and Anwar, S.F. 1996. “Factors influencing customer trust in salespersons in a developing countryâ€, Journal of International Marketing, 4(4), 35-52.
Andersen, P.H. and Kumar, R. 2006.“Emotions, trust and relationship development in business relationships: A conceptual model for buyer–seller dyadsâ€, Industrial Marketing Management, 35(4), 522-535.
Chéron, E. Hallegatte, D. Takahashi, I., Hamaoka, Y., Oh, C. “Antecedents, Consequences, and Mediating Roles of Trust in Relationships between Buyers and Suppliers: A Comparison among North America, Japan, and South Koreaâ€, Sophia International Review, 31, 1-28
Doney, M. P. and Cannon, J.P. 1997. “An examination of the nature of trust in buyer-seller relationshipsâ€, Journal of Marketing, 61(2), 35-51.
Ertong, G. 2011. Sağlık sisteminde hekim hasta ilişkisi ve güven unsuru†(The patient
physician relationship in health system and trust), PhD thesis, Ankara Universitesi SBE
Guenzi, P. and Georges, L. 2010. “Interpersonal trust in commercial relationships-antecedents and consequences of customer trust in the salespersonâ€, European Journal of Marketing, 44(1-2), 114-138.
Kennedy, M.S., Ferrell, L.K., LeClair, D.T. 2001. “Consumers' trust of salesperson and manufacturer: An empirical studyâ€, Journal of Business Research, 51, 73-86
Mangindaan, B.M.C and Hendriana, E. 2013. “Creating Customer Trust through Customer Relationship Management in SMEsâ€, International Conference on Business, Economics, and Accounting, 20 – 23 March, Bangkok – Thailand
Mishra, A. K. (1996). Organizational responses to crisis: The centrality of trust. In R. Kramer, & T. Tyler (Eds.), Trust in organizations , Thousand Oaks: Sage
Rousseau, D., Sitkin, M., Burt, S.B., Camerer, C. 1998. “Not so different after at all: A cross- discipline view of trustâ€. Academy of Management Review, 23, 393-405.
Sirdeshmukh, D., Singh, J., Sabol, B. 2002. “Consumer Trust, Value, and Loyalty in Relational Exchangesâ€, Journal of Marketing, 66(2), 15-37
Swan J.E. and Nolan J.J. 1985. “Gaining customer trust: a conceptual guide for the
salespersonâ€, Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 5(2), 39-48.
Swan, J.E., Trawick, F., Rink, D., Roberts, J. 1988.“Measuring dimensions of purchaser trust of industrial salespeopleâ€, The Journal of PersonalSelling and Sales Management, 8(1), 1-9.
Swan, J.E., Bowers, M.R. Richardson, L.D. 1999. “Customer trust in the salesperson: An integrative review and meta-analysis of the empirical literatureâ€, Journal of Business Research 44, 93–107
Tsai, M., Chin, C., Chen, C. 2010. “The effect of trust belief and salesperson’s expertise on consumer’s intention to purchase nutraceuticals: Applying the theory of reasoned actionâ€, Social Behavior and Personality, 38(2), 273-288.
Young, L. and Albaum, G. 2003. “Measurement of Trust in Salesperson–Customer Relationships in Direct Sellingâ€, 23(3), 253-269
Zabkar, V. and Brencic, M.M. 2004. “Values, trust, and commitment in business-to-business relationships-a comparison of two former Yugoslav marketsâ€, International Marketing Review, 21(2), 202-215.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
- Papers must be submitted on the understanding that they have not been published elsewhere (except in the form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review, or thesis) and are not currently under consideration by another journal published by any other publisher.
- It is also the authors responsibility to ensure that the articles emanating from a particular source are submitted with the necessary approval.
- The authors warrant that the paper is original and that he/she is the author of the paper, except for material that is clearly identified as to its original source, with permission notices from the copyright owners where required.
- The authors ensure that all the references carefully and they are accurate in the text as well as in the list of references (and vice versa).
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
- The journal/publisher is not responsible for subsequent uses of the work. It is the author's responsibility to bring an infringement action if so desired by the author.
