The multidimensionality of trust in relationship marketing

Relationship marketing represents a paradigm shift in marketing practice. The primary purpose of relationship marketing is to foster a mutually beneficial exchange between partners. Relationship commitment and trust serve as central constructs in relationship marketing. After the importance of relationship marketing is discussed, (1) antecedents and consequences of trust in relationship marketing are examined, (2) the multidimensionality of trust is discussed and tested, which also serves as the contribution to the literature, and (4) with respect to those dimensions of trust identified in this paper, the moderating effects of product type on the relationship are examined. Test results reveal that for utilitarian products, calculus-based trust has a greater impact on commitment than socio-normative trust; and for symbolic products, socio-normative trust has a greater impact on commitment than calculus-based trust. Managerial implications, with respect to this research, are provided