A Graphical Reconstruction and Theoretical Specification of the Integrative Model of (Organizational) Trust

Mayer, Davis, and Schoorman’s (1995) integrative model of organizational trust is one of the most influential accounts of interpersonal trust, building on and integrating prior pertinent research and thereby influencing trust research for decades across various disciplines far beyond its original scope in organizational settings. The model specifies that trust is predicted by the actor’s trust propensity and perceptions of trustworthiness (ability, benevolence, and integrity), how trust predicts risk-taking in conjunction with perceived risk, and how risk-taking and its outcomes inform subsequent trustworthiness perceptions. Yet, some of its central assumptions remain structurally underspecified. In this article, we reconstruct the model using the Visual Argument Structure Tool (VAST). This reconstruction, along with empirical findings, identifies ambiguities or implicit assumptions concerning the functional integration of ability, benevolence, and integrity on trust, the role of context, the number of trustworthiness facets, and the role of trust propensity on trust once trustee-related information is available. To address these gaps in the model, we propose empirical studies to test between competing hypotheses. Additionally, we propose initial formalization ideas that can be used to further specify the model: a context-dependent weighting mechanism for trustworthiness facets and a Bayesian-inspired account of trust propensity as a prior under uncertainty. These specifications aim to increase conceptual precision, to generate falsifiable predictions, and to support cumulative research.