
Transazioni economiche e transazioni sociali: il tema della fiducia There is no single, accepted definition of trust. Depending on context and purpose, different definitions may prove useful. In order to grasp the meaning of such a complex concept it proves useful to provide some background that will enable to define the concept of trust and understand why it matters. This paper aims at providing some tentative answers to the following questions: What is trust? How can we measure it? What variables can explain differences in the degree of trust across individuals and communities? Why is it important to study trust? Does it matter for economic performance and why?