The concept of inter-organizational trust presents gaps that require further research so that a coherent theory to support the strategies of cooperation and integration of the supply chain can be built. In this sense, this research aims to explain the antecedents of interorganizational trust by the relationship between the constructs operational performance, organizational characteristics, sharing of values, and interpersonal relationships, in the purchases made by processing industries. With regard to methodological aspects, this study takes the form of a descriptive survey type, as well as a causal, theoretical and empirical research, with explanatory character, developed through structural equation modeling. The questionnaires were administered to key informants, using simple random sampling developed in processing industries (CNAE 10-33) located in the region of Natal, which is an important sector with capacity to generate economic dynamism. The first results of the analyses demonstrate the phenomenon of inter-organizational trust, in which buying companies trust their suppliers and feel safe about the process. The initial proposed model showed no adjustment, and it had to be re-specified. This re-specified model demonstrates that the results support the explanation that trust in interorganizational purchases depends directly on interpersonal relationships, sharing of values, and operational performance. We concluded that this trust can be explained by a set of interactions between these three determinants, with interpersonal relations as the central point, which presented the highest path coefficient for the factor.
Interorganizational trust; Purchases; Buyer-supplier relationships; Structural equation; Logistics; Supply chain management
