Entrepreneurs as Trust’s Builders: An Integrated Model

Abstract

Given trust is essential in the context of developing effective new venture, we investigate how entrepreneurs can develop a proactive role as trust builders in early stages. We review the evidences of prior studies examining the association between entrepreneur’s behaviors, attitudes and characteristics and trust. By 471 empirical findings identified, we provide a wide inventory of behaviors, attitudes and characteristics that entrepreneurs could use to display their trustworthiness across stakeholders. Our conceptual model reconsiders and extends these factors and their antecedents from the model of Mayer et al., 1995, emphasizing differences across stakeholder groups and opening research venues.