Companies are increasingly making efforts to become more sustainable. In this research, we investigate the effect that these efforts have on consumer trusting beliefs in companies. In one correlational study and two controlled experiments (n = 2174), we test the relationship between sustainability improvements and trusting beliefs and the mediating mechanisms explaining this relationship. Results reveal that perceived innovativeness and self-connection with the company are mechanisms explaining the effect. Furthermore, in the first experiment, we test whether the effect on trusting beliefs requires a comprehensive change or if a small sustainability improvement is equally effective. In the second experiment, we address whether sustainability improvements are more effective than other types of improvements in terms of building trust. Our findings have important theoretical implications for the understanding of how sustainability efforts build trust and practical implications for companies aiming to trust among consumers.

中文翻译：

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走向绿色如何建立信任的信念

公司越来越多地努力变得更加可持续。在这项研究中，我们调查了这些努力对消费者对公司的信任信念的影响。在一项相关研究和两项对照实验中（n = 2174），我们测试了可持续性改进与信任信念之间的关系以及解释这种关系的中介机制。结果表明，感知创新和与公司的自我联系是解释这种影响的机制。此外，在第一个实验中，我们测试了对信任信念的影响是否需要全面改变，或者小的可持续性改进是否同样有效。在第二个实验中，我们讨论了在建立信任方面，可持续性改进是否比其他类型的改进更有效。我们的研究结果对于理解可持续发展努力如何建立信任具有重要的理论意义，以及对旨在赢得消费者信任的公司的实际意义。