An Investigation Into the Personal Interaction Items Which Best Explain the Variation in Trust Within Automotive Supply Chains

The sustainability of automotive component suppliers is under threat due to various global challenges. Literature suggests that only the actual personal relationship can differentiate suppliers within supply chains. Literature further encourages more insight into the conceptualization of personal interaction and trust within supply chains. This paper reports on research that tested the importance of trust and its directional linear relationship with personal interaction. Personal interaction revealed a significant correlation with trust, indicating that actions of the Tier 2 supplier during the sourcing process can substantially influence trust with the Tier 1 buyer. It is accordingly crucial for automotive component suppliers to invest in strategies to increase their personal interaction with their buyers in order to promote trust and in turn to promote perceived customer value and customer retention.