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multidimensional construct consisting trustworthiness related factors of a business partner as
seen by the other party, and the objective is to identify these attributes.
In the inter-firm buyer-supplier context factors of trustworthiness include honest
communication, task competence, quality assurance, interactional courtesy, legal compliance
and financial balance (Caldwell & Clapham 2003; Gullett et al., 2009). In addition, social
interaction, customer orientation, service quality, perceived value, and transparency (Doney,
Barry & Abratt, 2007; Pirson & Malhotra, 2011) have been used as trustworthiness factors. In
addition, Colquitt, Scott, and LePine (2007) have combined honesty, fairness, openness, caring
motives and intentions, and predictability in to a multifaceted construct of perceived
trustworthiness called “character”.
Based on past research building personal ties and cultivating trust with Russians is critical in
business (Barnes et al., 1997; Ari o et al., 1997). Russians appreciate true friendship (Ari o et
al., 1997) and trust personal ties more than loyalty to an organization (e.g. Barnes et al., 1997).
Hence, in the Russian context trust is related to the quality of personal relationships; whereas
in Western cultures, common aims and expectations of group performance support
cooperation (Engelhard & Nägele, 2003).
Also other features distinguish the Russian business culture from the Western one. Traditionally
Russian organizations are characterized by one-man authority, anti-individualism and
dependence, tightly coupled hierarchies, and lack of knowledge sharing (Michailova, 2002).
Trust building processes can be slow and demand high personal involvement or a deep personal
friendship (Ari o et al., 1997). Participating in informal communication and open
demonstrations of emotions are mentioned as being essential for building and maintaining
trustworthy business relationship in Russia (Andreeva, 2014).
The antecedents of trust found in the earlier Finnish studies were price, market potential,
customer orientation, co-operative interaction, size, organization/personal competence,
marketing spirit, previous experiences, distribution of liabilities, common clarified interests and
inter-firm roles, openness of communication, open sharing of information, inter-firm
knowledge, intimacy, reputation, earlier customer references (Viitaharju & Lähdesmäki, 2012;
Halinen, 1994), and keeping of promises about delivery dates, prices and quality (Seppänen and
Blomqvist, 2006). Finns could see the company as trustworthy even without experience based
on other persons’ experiences and referrals (Halinen, 1994).
Research methodology
The perceptions of the partners’ trustworthiness were studied using thematic interviews with
open ended questions, such as: How do you describe a trustworthy business partner? How
does your trust towards a business partner develop? How to trust a customer/supplier
develops at a personal level? How do you start to trust a customer/supplier? What is your
advice, how to develop mutual trust containing business relationships with a Russian/Finnish
customers or suppliers? Can you see any differences how trust develops towards Finnish or
Russian partner?
The data included 22 interviews with representatives of Russian and Finnish companies,
collected between June and November 2014. The companies of the interviewees were mostly
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