CONCEPTIONS AND MECHANISMS OF TRUST IN THE CUSTOMER/BANK RELATIONSHIP : A QUALITATIVE AND LONGITUDINAL STUDY

Shérazade Gatfaoui (1)

1 IRG - Institut de Recherche en Gestion

This paper analyzes the conceptions and the mechanisms of trust, both institutional and interpersonal, in a long term customer/bank relationship. A qualitative and longitudinal study was adopted, based on 18 retrospective case studies conducted within a French bank. Each case focuses on the relationship between a customer and his financial adviser, at the time when the study was carried out. Further, we analyze the conceptions of trust from the two perspectives of the customer and of the financial adviser. The results have important implications for understanding the different meanings and mechanisms of institutional trust (" credibility ") and interpersonal trust (" true trust ") in the customer/bank relationship. ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the conceptions and the mechanisms of trust, both institutional and interpersonal, in a long term customer/bank relationship. A qualitative and longitudinal study was adopted, based on 18 retrospective case studies conducted within a French bank. Each case focuses on the relationship between a customer and his financial adviser, at the time when the study was carried out. Further, we analyze the conceptions of trust from the two perspectives of the customer and of the financial adviser. The results have important implications for understanding the different meanings and mechanisms of institutional trust (" credibility ") and interpersonal trust (" true trust ") in the customer/bank relationship.

Mots clés: Services marketing; Customer relationship; Interpersonal trust; Institutional trust; Qualitative and Longitudinal Study; France; Keywords: Services marketing

Domaines: Gestion et management

Shérazade Gatfaoui. CONCEPTIONS AND MECHANISMS OF TRUST IN THE CUSTOMER/BANK RELATIONSHIP : A QUALITATIVE AND LONGITUDINAL STUDY . AMA (American Marketing Association) - 4TH ServSIG Services Research Conference, Singapore, June 2-4, 2005, Jun 2005, Singapore, Singapore. ⟨hal-01567311⟩