Resumen:
Purpose: the aim of this paper is to propose a wider and more humanistic understanding of thephenomenon of trust and "trust building" through a dialogue between ethics and social sciences. Design/methodology/approach: This paper offers a constructive critical review of theexplanation of trust proposed by Mayeret al.in their 1995 seminal article, and expands this byconsidering the ethical dimension and the role of virtues. Findings: The integrative model of organizational trust by Mayeret al.lacks a specific reference tothe role played by human will and the ability to make free choices. When assessing the trust built in arelationship, an explicit consideration of human will should be included in the related model, andspecifically, reference to moral virtues and practical wisdom as elements involved in thistrust-building process. Practical implications: It improves the understanding of the dynamics of trust in humanrelationships, which is key, as numerous studies in management carried out over the past decadesshow. Having an increasingly clear and complete understanding of trust is fundamental to understand,analyze, develop and manage interpersonal relationships within organizations. Originality/value: This article proposes a holistic conception of organizational trust, which allowsfor a more complete vision of the renowned model of Mayeret al.It does this by specificallyconsidering the
