The online consumer trust construct: a web merchant practitioner perspective (original) (raw)
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The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 2002
This paper develops and tests a model of consumer trust in an electronic commerce vendor. Building consumer trust is a strategic imperative for web-based vendors because trust strongly influences consumer intentions to transact with unfamiliar vendors via the web. Trust allows consumers to overcome perceptions of risk and uncertainty, and to engage in the following three behaviors that are critical to the realization of a web-based vendor's strategic objectives: following advice offered by the web vendor, sharing personal information with the vendor, and purchasing from the vendor's web site. Trust in the vendor is defined as a multi-dimensional construct with two interrelated components-trusting beliefs (perceptions of the competence, benevolence, and integrity of the vendor), and trusting intentions-willingness to depend (that is, a decision to make oneself vulnerable to the vendor). Three factors are proposed for building consumer trust in the vendor: structural assurance (that is, consumer perceptions of the safety of the web environment), perceived web vendor reputation, and perceived web site quality. The model is tested in the context of a hypothetical web site offering legal advice. All three factors significantly influenced consumer trust in the web vendor. That is, these factors, especially web site quality and reputation, are powerful levers that vendors can use to build consumer trust, in order to overcome the negative perceptions people often have about the safety of the web environment. The study also demonstrates that perceived Internet risk negatively affects consumer intentions to transact with a web-based vendor.
A Conceptual Model of Trust In the Online Environment
Online Information Review, 2007
Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to show that trust is an important factor for successful online transactions. Although the importance of trust has been examined from various perspectives, the studies on online trust have been fragmented in nature and are still in their infancy. Design/methodology/approach -This paper explores factors that affect the formation of end-user trust in online environments. The study proposes a conceptual framework, which categorises the affecting elements under internal and external factors affecting end-user trust formation. Findings -The results suggest that the actual outcome of trust-enhancing methods in online environments should be the development of long-term trusted customer relationships. Research limitations/implications -More empirical research efforts need to be directed to study trust in online environments. This study is conceptual and qualitative in nature, which is its main limitation. Practical implications -Companies operating in the online environment should focus their attention on the trust formation process and its management as well as creating and managing their relationships with important third parties. Originality/value -The study is significant for two reasons. First, it synthesises online trust literature and, second, it presents an integrative trust model.
A Framework and Guide for Understanding the Creation of Consumer Trust
2007
This paper develops a framework and model for building trust by combining research on the creation of trust with the dimensions of trust: ability, benevolence and integrity. By combining these dimensions in a matrix with the types of trust production based on characteristics, process and institutions, the paper develops a robust 3 x 3 matrix with which to categorize and understand trust production. The framework is developed and analyzed in the light of literature on consumer trust. This framework can help researchers, practitioners and consumers understand trust creation and assist businesses in developing a comprehensive strategy for managing trust. . Co-author of two textbooks and co-editor of four books, Dr. Sharma has authored numerous refereed research papers in many peer-reviewed national and international MIS and management journals, conference proceedings and books. His primary teaching and research interests are in e-commerce, computer-mediated communications, community informatics, information systems security, e-government, ERP systems, database management systems, cluster computing, web services and knowledge management. He has a wide consulting experience in information systems and e-commerce and has served as an advisor and consultant to several government and private organizations including projects funded by the World Bank. (ssharma@bsu.edu)
Trust is a vital relationship concept that needs clarification because researchers across disciplines have defined it in so many different ways. A typology of trust t ypes would make it easier to compare and communicate results, and would be especially valuable if the types of trust related to one other. The typology should be interdisciplinary because many disciplines research e-commerce. This paper justifies a parsimonious interdisciplinary t ypology and relates trust constructs to e-commerce consumer actions, defining both conceptual-level and operational-level trust constructs. Conceptual-level constructs consist of disposition to trust (primarily from psychology), institution-based trust (from sociology), and trusting beliefs and trusting intentions (primarily from social psychology). Each construct is decomposed into measurable subconstructs, and the typology shows how trust constructs relate to already existing Internet relationship constructs. The effects of Web vendor interventions on consumer behaviors are posited to be partially mediated by consumer trusting beliefs and trusting intentions in the e-vendor.
Building Trust in E-Commerce through Web Interface
International Journal of Information Communication Technologies and Human Development, 2009
The emergence of Internet has revolutionalized the way businesses are conducted. The impact of e-commerce is pervasive, both on companies and society as a whole. It has the potential to impact the pace of economic development and in turn influence the process of human development at the global level. However, the growth in e-commerce is being impaired by the issue of trust in the buyer-seller relationship which is arising due to the virtual nature of e-commerce environment. The online trading environment is constrained by a number of factors including web interface that in turn influences user experience. This article identifies various dimensions of web interface that have the potential to influence trust in e-commerce. The empirical evidence presented in the article is based on a survey of the web interfaces of 65 Indian e-Marketplaces.
INVESTIGATING THE FORMATION OF TRUST IN E-COMMERCE RELATIONSHIPS (RESEARCH IN PROGRESS
2001
As customer relationships constitute an important new asset category for the digital economy organization, the role of trust becomes vital for establishing and maintaining successful relational exchanges between the business and the consumer. Drawing from established theoretical work on trust and relationship marketing, a series of trust constructs and trust-building processes are synthesized to propose a framework for the formation of trust in customer-business relationships. The framework is conceptualized in the context of an electronic servicescape, where trust is formed through iterative interactions with promises being made, enabled and fulfilled. This research-in-progress paper concludes by describing the research approach for empirically validating the depicted relationships.
Interpreting dimensions of consumer trust in e-commerce
Information Technology and Management, 2003
Consumer trust in an Internet vendor is an issue commanding ever more attention. Based on an extensive review of literature, this paper proposes dimensions of trust in an Internet vendor. These are competence, integrity and benevolence. Competence refers to a company's ability to fulfill promises made with the consumers. Integrity suggests that a company acts in a consistent, reliable, and honest manner. Benevolence is the ability of a company to hold consumer interests ahead of its own self-interest and indicates sincere concern for the welfare of the customers. In a further analysis various sources where trust might reside are also identified. Drawing on the literature in marketing and general management, the sources of trust are classified as characteristics of the consumer, the firm, the website and the interaction between the consumer and the firm. Given the dimensions and sources of trust, a path model for developing consumer trust in E-commerce is suggested. This research makes a contribution to the development of a theoretical understanding of trust in E-commerce. Although the concepts presented in this paper can be used to carry out further empirical research, they can also be used by practitioners to identify particular trust characteristics for realizing the potential of business to consumer E-commerce venture.
A trust model for consumer internet shopping
International Journal of electronic commerce, 2001
E-commerce success, especially in the business-to-consumer area, is determined in part by whether consumers trust sellers and products they cannot see or touch, and electronic systems with which they have no previous experience. This paper describes a theoretical model for investigating the four main antecedent influences on consumer trust in Internet shopping, a major form of business-to-consumer e-commerce: trustworthiness of the Internet merchant, trustworthiness of the Internet as a shopping medium, infrastructural (contextual) factors (e.g., security, third-party certification), and other factors (e.g., company size, demographic variables). The antecedent variables are moderated by the individual consumer's degree of trust propensity, which reflects personality traits, culture, and experience. Based on the research model, a comprehensive set of hypotheses is formulated and a methodology for testing them is outlined. Some of the hypotheses are tested empirically to demonstrate the applicability of the theoretical model. The findings indicate that merchant integrity is a major positive determinant of consumer trust in Internet shopping, and that its effect is moderated by the individual consumer's trust propensity.
2 Trustbuilders and Trustbusters The Role of Trust Cues in Interfaces to e-Commerce Applications
2001
This paper investigates how interface design can help to overcome the proclaimed 'lack of trust' in e-commerce sites. Based on existing social science knowledge on trust, and our own exploratory study using Grounded Theory methods, we developed a model of consumer decision making in online shopping. Due to the separation in space and time when engaging in ecommerce, there is an increased need for trust, rather than the oft-proclaimed lack of trust. Based on this model we then review design guidelines through empirical tests. We focus on approaches that aim to increase trust by increasing the social presence of an interface. We identified cues in the user interface that help to build trust to some extent (trustbuilders), and some cues that have a great potential for destroying trust (trustbusters).