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Trust is a central construct in relationship marketing. Yet the literature provides mixed empirical evidence on the trust–performance linkage. Also, there is limited research on how to build trusting international buyer–seller relations. We develop a comprehensive model integrating performance-enhancing mechanisms and antecedent processes of trust in import–export relationships. Our survey results from importers trading with overseas manufacturers suggest that existing levels of trust have a positive effect on relationship performance outcomes achieved 1 year later. Importantly, trust takes on greater importance in enhancing performance under conditions of high interdependence, whereas in circumstances of low interdependence trust has no discernible effect. The findings also indicate that interfirm psychic distance, internal uncertainty, and exporter transaction-specific assets and opportunism are related to importer trust. Implications for academics and practitioners are addressed. Journal of International Business Studies (2009) 40, 132–155. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8400401

Consumer skepticism of corporate environmental activities is on the rise. Yet research on this timely, intriguing, and important topic is scarce for both academics and practitioners.Building on attribution theory, we develop and test a theoretically anchored model that explains the sources and consequences of green skepticism. The study findings reveal that consumers' perceptions of industry norms, corporate social responsibility, and corporate history are important factors that explain why consumers assign different motives to corporate environmental actions. In addition, the results show that while intrinsic motives exert a strong negative effect on green skepticism, extrinsic motives have no discernible effect. Furthermore, the findings indicate that green skepticism prompts consumers to seek more information about the products, sparks negative word of mouth to friends and acquaintances, and forestalls purchase intentions. The study offers several implications for corporate and public policy makers and presents fruitful research directions.

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The study illustrates the technique by using the empirical data set in Skarmeas and Leonidou's (2013) study on consumer skepticism about corporate social responsibility (CSR). The investigation provides more nuanced coverage of the role of CSR skepticism than the conventional "net effect" symmetrical explanation and illustrates that CSR skepticism and its impact are contingent on combinations of complex antecedent conditions and several alternative paths. Specifically, the study expands on Skarmeas and Leonidou's findings by showing that the degree of CSR skepticism depends on the combination of "ingredients" in the CSR-induced consumer attribution causal "recipes." The study also shows that the deleterious influence of CSR skepticism on consumer-related outcomes, such as retailer equity, resilience to negative information about the retailer, and word of mouth, is conditional and depends on the combination of antecedent conditions that occur in the causal statements.