Service Fairness, Trustworthiness, and Trust: An Empirical Examination

Theorists and empirical researchers in marketing and other fields suggest that fairness is important in developing buyerseller relationships. However, the construct of fairness is still opaque and relatively under-developed. Researchers still do not adequately understand the connection between service fairness and trust. Hence the purpose of this study is to provide a more developed social exchange model which examines the differential effects of different fairness dimensions on trustworthiness, customers’ trust, and other behavioural outcomes i.e. word-of-mouth and loyalty. Data were collected from consumers of financial services and analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. Findings of the study will go a long way in helping service providers in building fairness in the business model and nurturing relationship quality amongst consumers and fuelling positive word-of-mouth, and loyalty.