The impact of fairness on trustworthiness and trust in banking

Theorists and empirical researchers in marketing and other fields suggest that fairness is important in underpinning trust, which, in turn, is integral to developing and maintaining buyer–seller relationships. However, empirical investigation of fairness in the domain of marketing has, to date, been limited. Consequently, the relationship between fairness and trust is not well understood. Thus, the purpose of this study is to provide a fully developed social exchange model examining the differential effects of various dimensions of fairness on trustworthiness and customers’ trust. Data were collected from customers of banks and were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. Findings of the study show that perceptions of fair treatment on the part of customers are important in driving trustworthiness and engendering trust.