A Review of Literature on Trust in Online Platforms- A Conceptual Unified Framework and Future Research Directions

There has been a lot of empirical work on trust research in online platforms in the past two decades. Due to great diversity in the underlying theories, methodologies, variables, and relationships in this field and a “confusing potpourri” of conceptualizations and operationalizations of the constructs, prior researchers have called for a need to synthesize the field knowledge in a meaningful way to build a cumulative tradition. With this as the underlying motivation, this review paper analyzes 106 empirical articles on trust in online platforms published in the past 20 years to synthesize the field knowledge and provide a state of art picture of the field. This paper also aims to provide a conceptual unifying framework that establishes the relationships among various constructs studied in the literature, along with some insights into existing research gaps and potential future opportunities

Will Jargon Use Increase or Decrease a Doctor\u27s Credibility? Exploring the Moderating Effects of eHealth Literacy and Question Type

Doctors are accustomed to using jargon to communicate in online medical communities, but is it actually effective? In this article, we propose two diametrically opposed mechanisms of jargon use that affect patients\u27 confidence in providers of online medical consultation services: The use of jargon affects competence-based confidence positively, but negatively on benevolence- and integrity-based trust. We take into account the moderating effects of eHealth literacy and question type to better comprehend the circumstances in which jargon use is at play. To test our conceptual model, we conduct a scenario experiment and then use a survey method to collect 203 valid questionnaires. Finally, we discuss our findings, their implications for theory and practise, and the study\u27s limitations

UNDERSTANDING USER’S TRUST FORMATION ON MULTI-SIDED E-COMMERCE PLATFORMS

With the ever-growing popularity of online shopping, platform environments providing access to products by multiple sellers increasingly attract users. To reduce information asymmetry and enhance user trust, platform actors provide signals such as star reviews to demonstrate their trustworthiness. This work investigates the influence of trust signals from different sources (on the platform itself vs. on external third-party review sites) and for different targets (platform provider vs. seller) on users’ trust formation in multi-sided e-commerce platforms. We conduct a choice-based conjoint analysis based on data from 81 participants. Our results show that users weigh external signals stronger than internal ones when building trust. Also, trust signals for sellers have a higher impact on users’ trust than platform provider signals. Signal discrepancies between internal and external reviews are especially harmful to the platform provider. These insights extend prior knowledge on trust formation and its impacting factors on e-commerce platforms

Does personality still matter in e-commerce? How perceived hubris influences the assessment of founders’ trustworthiness using the example of reward-based crowdfunding

Reward-based crowdfunding broadens the scope of e-commerce transactions, as prototypical products are pre-sold under conditions of considerable uncertainty. To date, we know little about the mechanisms that underlie decisions to back reward-based crowdfunding campaigns. However, it is likely that startup founders’ possibility of showcasing their personalities in video pitches signals their trustworthiness, particularly, as other features, such as quality seals and customer testimonials, are often unavailable. We use signaling theory to reinforce the move from a feature-oriented perspective to a signaling perspective, as signals can transmit information about startup founders’ otherwise imperceptible qualities and abilities. Based on a survey (N = 108), we investigate how perceived hubris – proven to be particularly salient in startup contexts – influences the funding decision of potential backers. We find that abilities and legitimacy of a startup founder are rated positively when s/he is perceived as hubristic. These results have implications for crowdfunding campaigns and highlight the relevance of personality traits in electronic markets

Qualitative meta-analysis of propensity to trust measurement

In a rapidly changing and dynamic world, individuals’ propensity to trust is likely to become an increasingly important facet for understanding human behaviour, yet its measurement has mostly been unexplored. We undertake the first systematic qualitative survey of propensity to trust scales using qualitative meta-analysis methodology to review the literature (1966–2018) and identify 26 measures and their applications in 179 studies. Using content analysis, we thematically organise these scales into six thematic areas and discuss the emerging implications. We find that while most of these scales reflect propensity to trust in terms of a positive belief in human nature, other themes include general trust, role expectations, institutional trust, cautiousness and other personality attributes. We reveal significant methodological concerns regarding several scales and argue for more considered selection of scales for use in research. We examine the case for multidimensionality in measures of propensity to trust used within organisational research. Rather than treating a lack of generalisability of findings in existing organisational studies as purely a problem of measurement design, we instead outline an agenda for further conceptual and empirical study

Trust in digital asset transactions in a web 3 based metaverse

Abstract. Metaverse is drawing the same attention that the internet had received during the Y2K era when internet was a new technology and still evolving. In the similar way, metaverse is still a long way from mainstream adoption and is constantly evolving. Web 3 metaverse or the open metaverse is decentralized using blockchain technology. With blockchain technology, also known as the “trustless” technology, there seems to be no need for the traditional trust concepts in exchanges made in the metaverse ecosystem. In this research, trust in transactions made in the exchange of digital assets in the Web 3 metaverse is explored. Five traditional trust concepts, namely system trust, institution based trust, homophily trust, fast trust and performance based trust are taken into consideration and their dominance level was analyzed to know if they have an impact in purchasing decisions made in the Web 3 metaverse. To have a holistic idea of trust at play, trust in collaborations and business relations in the metaverse is also explored. For this study, information was gathered by means of semi structured, in-depth interviews with seven respondents. These respondents are all active in the metaverse, having made some transactions in the platforms. The findings show that institution based trust or the trust in the brand is currently the most dominant when it comes to both transactions and collaborations in the metaverse even with the new “trustless” technology. One of the contributions of this study is that traditional trust concepts still play a major role in the metaverse and categorizes the level of dominance of each trust type. The study also further confirms the previous literature based on institution trust and other trust concepts. Furthermore, several managerial implications are presented for businesses in the metaverse based on the conclusion. Businesses should work on reputation management and establish a trust mechanism. This can be done through smart contracts with the help of AI that ensure safety, transparency, and accountability in transactions. Creating digital twins to encourage purchases at the beginning stages of business in the metaverse as the real world trust is carried forward to the virtual world of the metaverse is also important

The Influence of Buyers' Time Orientation on Online Shopping Behavior: A Typology

This research investigates the influence of buyers’ time orientations (measured as polychronic–monochronic and past–future time orientations) on four major variables of online shopping: trust, social interaction, browsing, and locus of control, which in turn influence users’ intention to shop online. Results using structural equation modeling with a sample of 377 Chinese cosmetics shoppers support our hypotheses and show that polychronic orientation of users tends to be positively related to trust, social interaction, browsing experience, and external locus of control and indirectly to intention to shop online through these four consumer characteristics. No relationship was found between future orientation and browsing experience and external locus of control, but a positive relationship was found with intention to shop online through trust and social interaction. Finally, results show that trust and social interaction are positively related to intention to shop online. The authors conclude that time orientations can be used as effective segmentation variables, which are useful in describing a universal typology among different types of online shopping behaviors. Internet retailers should take into account the role of time in e-shopping adoption when assessing different types of users and website design

The art of online arbitrage: essential practices for third-party sellers

The topic of arbitrage is an essential concept in the financial world. It involves taking advantage of price discrepancies for an asset or security across different markets. The emerging third-party retail and online e-commerce arbitrage sellers industry is growing and becoming a popular income source for many individuals. While there is various research on arbitrage and its impact on the economy, there is scant literature on third-party retail e-commerce arbitrage selling. The goal of this research is to build upon existing scholarly work by examining optimal methods, tactics, and obstacles encountered by e-commerce arbitrage sellers who operate through third-party retail platforms. A phenomenological methodology was employed to capture the firsthand experiences of seasoned professionals in the field. Twelve third-party e-commerce sellers who met inclusion criteria were interviewed and asked 11 interview questions designed to elicit detailed and nuanced answers. Thematic analysis was employed to code and categorize the interview data. Forty-nine overarching themes were identified and condensed to create the ACES Framework, which can be used as a guide for success in third-party retail e-commerce arbitrage selling