Table 1.

Commitment–trust factors and operational definitions.

Commitment–trust theoryFactorsOperational definitionsSources of the factors
Precursors of relationship commitment and trustPowerPartner’s ability to influence another, often based on the other’s dependenceMorgan and Hunt (1994) 
Relationship termination costsExpected losses – financial, reputational or operational – if the relationship ends
Relationship benefitsNet advantages of the partnership relative to alternatives, for example, profitability, performance and satisfaction
Shared valuesAlignment in beliefs about behaviors, goals, policies and ethical standards
CommunicationTimely and relevant exchange of meaningful information
Opportunistic behaviorSelf-interest actions that exploit the partner, often deceptively
Outcomes of relationship commitment and trustAcquiescenceWillingness to comply with or defer to partner requests or policies
Propensity to leavePerceived likelihood that a partner will terminate the relationship soon
CooperationCollaborative efforts to achieve mutual goals
Functional conflictDisagreements that, when managed constructively, improve decisions or performance
UncertaintyLack of information or predictability, limiting confident decision-making

or Create an Account

Close Modal
Close Modal