Constructing a typology of trust in asymmetrical food business relationships

Purpose – This paper aims to present insights into representations of discursive trust in asymmetrical business‐to‐business relationships in food chains. The purpose is to understand and define the interorganisational trust in business relationships by viewing these inductive findings in light of the relevant literature.Design/methodology/approach – Discourse analysis of interviews with individuals in the food processing industry is used to determine different representations of trust.Findings – Three representations of trust emerged from the interviews. They indicate that trust is a complex and dynamic phenomenon. The representations found were: a key operational element; recognition of context; and relationship resource stemming from individual bonds and personal characters. Trust is associated with control and context in the food industry as well as with a business's size and its customer reputation.Research limitations/implications – The implications for food chain participants and other stakeholder g...