An Examination of the Effect between Trust, Commitment and Relationship Quality In the Retailing Industry (Shahrvand Chain Stores)

Attempts to examine the concepts of Trust and Commitment, on two levels of Retail Relationships: the Salesperson level as well as the Store level, and test their impact on Relationship Quality. Based on a review of the literature, a conceptual model has been developed that links Trust and Commitment to Relationship Quality. A number of research hypotheses have been formulated to examine the relationships proposed. The main variables include: Salesperson Trust, Store Trust, Salesperson Commitment, Store Commitment and Relationship Quality. This article presents the result developed and discusses some empirical findings from a survey of Shoppers in Sharvand Chain Stores setting in Tehran. In particular, the two levels of relationships (Salesperson and Store level) are examined from the Customer’s Perspective, using Path Analysis (SPSS). The findings in this study indicate that for the establishment of higher levels of Relationship Quality in a Customer-Salesperson Retail Relationship, it is very important that a customer has a high level of Trust in the Salesperson and feels committed to the Salesperson. The importance of Commitment in Retail Relationships (Customer-Store) is stressed by its strong relationship with overall Relationship Quality. Consequently, Salesperson Trust rather than Store Trust is a significant predictor of overall Relationship Quality. Despite that, Customers’ Interactions with the Salesperson are likely to shape their perceptions of Relationship Quality to a certain extent. This implies that Trust and Commitment in the Salesperson is likely to have some indirect effect on Trust and Commitment in the Retail Store. Concludes with a discussion of the implications of the study and provides directions for future research.