Trust serves as a cornerstone of social evaluation. It is often considered an automatic process that precedes other judgements. This primacy is rooted in our evolutionary need to quickly assess the intentions of others for successful social exchange and survival. This chapter offers a coherent analysis of the extant research on trust in organisations, incorporating both well-established perspectives and emerging directions. The chapter is structured in three segments. The first segment presents an overview of trust definition—a willingness to accept vulnerability based on positive expectations. It delineates the different characteristics of trust, tracing its underpinnings in individual cognition and motivation, as well as in relationships and institutions. The second segment synthesises the extant literature on trust in organisations across stakeholders and inter-organisational trust. The review analyses trust at both the individual and organisational levels of analysis, critically evaluating gaps and inconsistencies in the current state of knowledge. The third and final segment highlights unresolved empirical and theoretical questions in measurements and the role of emotion in trust, as well as emerging directions in trust research for further investigation. It underscores the growing focus on the role of vulnerability as an intrinsic characteristic of trust, the nuances in the nature and relationships of trust across cultures, and the concept of distrust as a distinct construct that is beyond low trust. This foundational chapter serves as a guide to understanding trust as a critical social evaluation and its role in contributing to the field of social evaluations research.