Trust in Horizontal Selling Alliances

Abstract

Relationships between perceived trustworthiness, trusting behaviors, and perceived task performance were examined in the context of working relationships between sales representatives involved in horizontal selling alliances in the Canadian computer industry. Trustworthiness was found to indirectly impact perceived task performance through mediating trusting behaviors of relationship-specific investment and communication openness. These results suggest prescriptions to improve selling partner working relationships and illustrate the utility of studying trust at lower levels of abstraction.