Trustworthiness
Trustworthiness is an intrinsic reality that abides in one or both of the partners to a transaction. Its perception, particularly in the beginning, by the other partner depends critically on the perception of certain extrinsic forms (signs, labels, messages, etc) that are understood to represent the presence of underlying trustworthiness. The most important extrinsic form for commercial transactions is control. Over time, trust deepens, and the extrinsic forms become less important. As a relationship acquires its own history, there is more to go on than just external appearances and thus the appearances become secondary
|