This study explores the phenomenon of inflated trust in interorganizational relationships (IORs), where declared trust levels exceed perceived performance outcomes. While prior research predominantly assumes alignment between trust and performance, our findings challenge this assumption, demonstrating that misalignment - specifically inflated trust - can arise under certain conditions. Drawing on a survey of 422 supply chain managers in Poland and employing fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), we identified four configurations of conditions leading to inflated trust. Key factors include trustworthiness, relational satisfaction, firm size, sector type, and the duration of partnerships. Complementing these results with qualitative interviews, we highlight how systemic practices, cognitive biases, and relational dynamics contribute to this phenomenon. Our study underscores the importance of revisiting traditional alignment frameworks and offers insights into the risks of trust-performance misalignment in IORs, providing understanding of how trust evolves and diverges from performance outcomes.
