Developing a Multi-level Model of the Impact of Sellers’ and Customers’ Personality type on Sellers’ Trustfulness

Given the competitive nature of markets these days, environmental changes and gaining the trust of customers by other organizations have found that it is necessary to gain customers’ trust. On the other hand, insurance industry has been regarded as a rapidly growing industry in terms of quality and quantity of insurance companies. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of different types of customers’ and sellers’ characteristics on sellers’ trustfulness. On the one hand, it intends to address the theoretical gap by providing a comprehensive model in this field.

The present empirical research was conducted using a descriptive-survey method. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed using Cronbach's alpha and CR index; the validity was assessed based on content validity, as well as convergent and divergent validity methods. The data were collected between September 2019 and September 2020. The statistical population of this study includes all customers of private insurance companies in Tehran. The data were analyzed using Smart P.L.S software and hierarchical linear analysis.

Data analysis findings revealed that customers' personality type has an effect on sellers’ trustfulness. Besides, the sellers' personality type at the organization level had a significantly intervening effect on the relationship between customers' personality type and the sellers' trustfulness at the individual level. In addition, the mediating effect of the sellers' personality type was measured using the Sobel test and its severity was measured using VIF coefficient.

The findings indicated that the sellers’ personality type had a more significant effect. Moreover, all dimensions of customers' and sellers’ personality types had a significant effect. Particularly, sincerity and openness were among the most significant customers’ personality types, while perceived stability had the most impact among the sellers' personality types. Finally, the sellers' personality type was confirmed as a mediator between the customers' personality type and sellers’ trustfulness.