Institutional trust and repurchase intention in the sharing economy: The moderating roles of information privacy concerns and security concerns

The sharing economy has accumulated a great number of experienced users, which makes repurchase behaviors a major concern. This research concentrates on two types of institutional trust, namely, trust in the platform and trust in the community of providers, and their various effects in shaping repurchase intention under different conditions specified by the innate human perception of risks. Drawing upon the privacy calculus model, we identify two types of risk-related perceptions, i.e., information privacy concerns and security concerns, as the primary situational factors for trust to take effect. We then propose a model to illustrate how these two types of trust operate under the boundary conditions specified by information privacy concerns and security concerns. Our findings based on experienced users of sharing accommodation platforms in China suggest that both types of institutional trust can promote repurchase intention, and their effects are moderated by both information privacy concerns and security concerns to varying extents. In doing so, our study contributes to the existing studies by confirming the essential role of institutional trust in driving repurchase behaviors and by adding a new understanding of institutional trust in platform-based businesses such as the sharing economy.     

Like or dislike? Adolescents’ responses to personalized social network site advertising

Increasingly, personal data posted by users of social network sites (SNSs) can be used to personalize advertising. The present study investigates how adolescents respond to personalized ads in terms of attitude toward the ad, brand engagement and intention to forward, and whether privacy concerns moderate their responses. According to pretest results, a medium level of personalization was expected to be optimal in terms of advertising effectiveness. A within-subjects experiment involving 40 participants aged 14–18 years was performed. Three conditions of personalized advertising were designed with, respectively, low, medium, and high levels of personalization. The study found that the highest personalization condition generated the most positive response and that privacy concerns did not moderate the effects of personalization. The privacy paradox is discussed as an alternative explanation, along with other implications of the results.     

eWOM across channels: comparing the impact of self-enhancement,positivity bias and vengeance on Facebook and Twitter

Abstract

When sharing personal details, versus talking about others, consumers tend to accentuate the positive experiences they have with brands in order to self-enhance amongst friends. Consumers also take vengeance on brands in public venues. Turning to social network sites (SNSs), it is unclear which is dominant. Here historical Facebook and Twitter eWOM (n = 47,907) is analyzed for a static group of 783 active US consumers. Self-enhancement is found on both SNSs. The majority of eWOM is positive Vengeance was rare, occurring only in 10.3% of all eWOM. eWOM appears to mirror a consumer's non-eWOM sentiment valence across SNSs. In this cross-platform comparison we suggest that SNS affordances alter eWOM creation Facebook has privacy expectations and limits direct brand interactions. Twitter is a public platform with less privacy expectations and a larger customer service component. Here eWOM is more prevalent on Twitter but contrary to our expectations is more positive.     

What type of purchase do you prefer to share on social networking sites: Experiential or material?

Social networking sites (SNSs) have greatly changed individual lifestyles and the means of sharing information. They encourage users to participate in sharing activities and have led to a boost in user-generated content. To gain a deep insight into users' information sharing behaviors on SNSs, this study investigates what type of purchase (material or experiential) users prefer to share on SNSs. Three experiments were conducted, and the results revealed that experiential purchases were more likely to be shared through SNSs than were material ones. This disparity stemmed from the users' perceived social approval of the purchase. Additionally, the users' self-monitoring moderated the impact of the purchase type on the sharing intention. Together, our findings help to explain users’ information-sharing behaviors on SNSs and enrich the research on purchase-type comparisons. Further, the results provide practitioners with proper marketing strategies based on the product type.     

Electronic Word-of-Mouth in Social Networking Sites: A Cross-Cultural Study of the United States and China

ABSTRACT

Understanding electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in social networking sites (SNSs) is crucial as consumers have potential to reach global audiences quickly and easily. This article presents the first cross-cultural study on eWOM in SNSs by examining social relationship variables between the United States and China. Specifically, social capital, tie strength, trust, and interpersonal influence were examined as potential predictors of eWOM communication in the emerging online social channels. The results suggest that national culture plays a significant factor that affects consumers’ engagement in eWOM in SNSs in the two countries. Theoretical and managerial implications for global Internet marketers were presented and discussed.     

The influence of social capital through social media: a study of the creation of value in shopping behaviour

When consumers access information from groups through social network sites (SNSs), they develop social capital in the form of bonding and bridging ties with these groups. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of these bonding and bridging behaviours on consumers’ use of the social network information (SNI) gained from SNSs in their purchasing decisions. The study integrates constructs from the Technology Acceptance Model and the concept of flow to examine how these behaviours influence consumers’ perceptions of how useful the SNI is, of how easy the SNI is to use, and how they engage with SNI. The study utilizes structural equation modelling to examine questionnaire data from a random sample of social network users. The findings demonstrate that bonding and bridging ties influence consumers’ perceptions of the usefulness and ease of use of the information provided by SNSs, and therefore influence their use of the information when making shopping decisions. In addition, consumers who access SNI through bonding ties are likely to have flow experiences which further contribute to their use of the information. This study makes a theoretical contribution by expanding knowledge of the social capital influences on consumers’ perceptions of the value of the social media shopping experience.     

The effects of motivations, trust, and privacy concern in social networking

This study proposes and tests a model that uses privacy concern, trust, and motivations to explain the process leading to information disclosure and the intensity of social network services (SNS) use. Use of SNSs has been shown in our investigation to be negatively correlated to a user??s privacy concern but positively correlated to a user??s trust and motivations. Furthermore, by using a hierarchical regression model, we show that trust accounts for a significant additional amount of variance in SNS use after controlling the variance explained by privacy concern. In addition, motivation accounts for a significant additional amount of variance in SNS use after controlling the variance explained by both privacy concern and trust.     

Self-disclosure and Privacy Calculus on Social Networking Sites: The Role of Culture

Social Network Sites (SNSs) rely exclusively on user-generated content to offer engaging and rewarding experience to its members. As a result, stimulating user communication and self-disclosure is vital for the sustainability of SNSs. However, considering that the SNS users are increasingly culturally diverse, motivating this audience to self-disclose requires understanding of their cultural intricacies. Yet existing research offers only limited insights into the role of culture behind the motivation of SNS users to self-disclose. Building on the privacy calculus framework, this study explores the role of two cultural dimensions – individualism and uncertainty avoidance – in self-disclosure decisions of SNS users. Survey responses of US and German Facebook members are used as the basis for our analysis. Structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis results reveal the distinct role of culture in the cognitive patterns of SNS users. The authors find that trusting beliefs play a key role in the self-disclosure decisions of users from individualistic cultures. At the same time, uncertainty avoidance determines the impact of privacy concerns. This paper contributes to the theory by rejecting the universal nature of privacy calculus processes. The findings provide for an array of managerial implications for SNS providers as they strive to encourage content creation and sharing by their heterogeneous members.     

Understanding information disclosures and privacy sensitivity on short-form video platforms: An empirical investigation

As a new social media platform, short-form video apps integrate the dual functions of e-commerce and social networking. The proliferation and high penetration rate of this kind of app have resulted in online user concerns about the privacy security problems exposed by such platforms. This study focuses on better understanding the impact mechanism of private information disclosure behaviors and obtained benefits on privacy concerns of short-form video platform users. We analyzed the behavioral and privacy setting data of 35,456 users registered on the TikTok platform. The results demonstrated a correlation between use behaviors (e.g., participation and interest) and privacy sensitivity, among which popularity, as a form of external feedback, played a mediating role. In addition, the official certification provided to users by the platform moderated the impact of user popularity on privacy sensitivity. This study enriches the understanding of the correlation between privacy concerns and information disclosure behavior and suggests practical implications for the design of privacy settings and protections by short-form video platforms.     

Identifying the factors that influence eWOM in SNSs: the case of Chile

ABSTRACT

The factors that influence electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in social networking sites (SNSs) in Latin American countries still need to be understood. This paper looks at factors included by prior research, as well as two new factors that have the power to influence eWOM in SNSs in the region. The study is conducted in Chile, a country which already has high Internet and SNSs penetration rates and Hofstede's scores close to the average for Latin America. The results show that tie strength, normative influence, informational influence, self-presentation, and voluntary self-disclosure are all positively directly associated with eWOM in SNSs. The results also show that homophily exerts a positive indirect influence on eWOM through the mediators of tie strength, normative influence, informational influence, and self-presentation. Additionally, the results show that trust exerts a positive indirect influence on eWOM through the mediators of tie strength, normative influence, and voluntary self-disclosure.     

The role of customization,brand trust,and privacy concerns in advergaming

This study investigates the effects of advergame customization features and trust in the brand advertised in the advergame on players’ brand attitude and personal information disclosure. Moreover, we examine to what extent players’ privacy concerns moderate these effects. Drawing on self-determination theory and uncertainty reduction theory, we developed and tested a game with varying levels of customization features and brand trust. Results show that customization possibilities and brand trust may have a positive influence on advergame persuasion outcomes, but this influence is strongly conditioned by consumers’ privacy concerns. When privacy concerns are low, a game containing customization features leads to a more positive brand attitude. However, when privacy concerns are high, the effect becomes negative. Additionally, we find that different levels of privacy concerns do not affect players’ responses toward high trust brands, but toward low trust brands. For low trust brands, players with high privacy concerns show more negative game responses than players with low concerns. These findings set the boundaries for several theoretical and practical implications regarding advergame effectiveness.     

To Share and Protect: Using Regulatory Focus Theory to Examine the Privacy Paradox of Consumers' Social Media Engagement and Online Privacy Protection Behaviors

Consumers' personal information often informs retailers' marketing efforts in terms of creating value in the online marketplace. This study examines four factors related to consumers' social media engagement and online privacy protection behaviors. Regulatory focus, social exchange, and marketing relationship theories explain the online consumer personal information share-and-protect model developed. Consumers aged 18–64 years across the United States participated in this survey research. The results suggest that while personal privacy violation experience and perceived secondary control of one's personal information are influential antecedents, privacy concerns and trust in social media websites mediate each of these respectively. The findings suggest that promotion- and prevention-related behaviors regarding personal information align with the orientation of the antecedents, indicating that regulatory focus theory shows promise for examining the privacy paradox. We conclude by developing a matrix that integrates regulatory focus and social exchange theories to guide future research.     

Metaverse mingle: Discovering dating intentions in metaverse

The present work represents a mixed-method investigation to redefine Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) using some innovative variables to investigate dating-partner behaviour in the metaverse. In addition, it seeks proof that realistic threat and perceived trust have a moderating role in this proposed model. The research is split into two parts: in the first stage, dating app users' responses have been collected from online reviews posted on social media sites. Python have been used to find out the constructs from the content analysis. Then using the constructs second phase have been started where the model has been validated by confirmatory analysis. Perceived trust moderates the association between perceived attitude and dating intention in Metaverse whereas realistic threat don't have. Our research showed that apart from perceived accuracy of information all the other factors are having significant association towards perceived attitude. Our findings highlight the importance of both channels in persuading consumers to try out metaverse dating. In order to earn the users' trust, they must resolve their concerns over privacy and security in the online world. To achieve this, strict user verification and security procedures should be implemented.     

On electronic word-of-mouth diffusion in social networks: curiosity and influence

The rapid proliferation of social networking sites (SNSs) provides marketers with ample opportunities to explore advertising strategies based on electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM). With that in mind, this study aims to understand the influence of the eWOM diffusion process on SNSs. We propose a theoretical framework to investigate the roles of curiosity and influence in SNS users’ decisions to adopt eWOM and to pass it along to their contact groups. Two forms of curiosity, specific and diversive, are proposed to initiate specific exploration (consistency checking and knowledge-based validation) and diversive exploration (referral visit behavior), and eventually, adoption and pass-along behavior. In addition, SNS influence, formed by maven, persuasiveness, and connectivity, is proposed as a moderator affecting information diffusion. The proposed framework is empirically validated using the data collected from online surveys of 590 Facebook users. Implications for theory and practice are also discussed.     

Determining perceptions,attitudes and behaviour towards social network site advertising in a three-country context

ABSTRACT

Regardless of the growth in social media and social network advertising (SNA), little theoretical and empirical knowledge exists on the differences between countries, and the perceptions and attitudes towards social network advertising. The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationships between users’ perceptions (personal and societal), their attitudes and their behaviour towards Facebook advertising, across three countries, as well as the moderating role of privacy and general advertising attitudes. Online surveys were administered and a convenience sampling resulted in 1,166 respondents. Structural equation modelling was used to test the proposed model.

The research indicates that the social support theory shows promise for examining the perceptions and attitudes towards SNA. Furthermore, the validity of the conceptual model is confirmed in all three countries; however, the strength of these relationships differs. Additionally, it is evident that consumers’ culture influences the role of privacy and trust in SNA perceptions.     

The role of trust and privacy concerns in using social media for e-retail services: The moderating role of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the customers habits of purchasing as well as shopping behaviours. This study seeks to develop an integrated model of the critical role of trust and privacy concerns in influencing consumers purchase behaviour through social media. It also explored the moderating role of COVID-19 on these relationships. Quantitative data were collected using survey strategy through questionnaires to address different levels of the study. Our proposed model was tested with 1,200 consumers, 600 prior to COVID-19 and 600 during COVID-19. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling was conducted to assess the hypotheses. The findings revealed that purchase intention depends on trust and privacy concerns. Information quality, security concerns, ease of use, privacy/security assurance seal, and disposition to third party certification are the main drivers of trust and privacy concerns. Furthermore, our proposed model during COVID-19 period has higher explanator power (R2 = 0.741) than before COVID-19 period (R2 = 0.603 and consumers buying behaviour has been increased during COVID-19. The results offer important implications for retailers and are likely to stimulate further research in the area of purchase behaviour through social media.     

Privacy versus accessibility: The impact of situationally conditioned belief

The information age we are living in and the technology that supports it, raises new ethical concerns. Among these concerns are privacy — the rights of individuals to withold information they consider sensitive, and accessibility — the rights of individuals to obtain information that is relevant to the decisions they must make. Arguments about potential impacts of information technology on privacy and accessibility mask and underlying conflict — that one person's beliefs about their right to relevant information is likely to conflict with another person's belief's about their right to withold information they consider sensitive. This paper proposes that the conflict is likely to be a function of the role the individuals plays in the decision making situation — situationally conditioned belief (SCB) — rather than a function of the person's underlying ethical values.This paper presents an empirical study involving information privacy and accessibility in routine business and market decisions, designed to reveal the presence of SCBs. The results indicate that SCBs cause a gap in beliefs about information accessibility and privacy. Impacts of the SCB gap are discussed. A negotiation technique called information exchange is suggested as a means of closing the SCB gap in routine business and market transactions. Dr. Laura Lally received her Ph.D. in Information Systems. Dr. Lally pursues research on the impacts of information technology on a nation's culture, on business profitability, and on the ethical choices faced by individuals. She has published articles in Decision Sciences, the Information Society, the Journal of Global Information Management and in the Journal of End User Computing. She is currently investigating the risk factors involved in process reengineering under a grant from the National Science Foundation.     

A Taxonomy of Social Networking Site Users: Social Surveillance and Self‐surveillance Perspective

Since social networking sites (SNS) are widely used in modern society, users increasingly use SNS to manage or maintain their existing social relationships and form new ones. This research applies social surveillance and self‐surveillance to classify SNS user types and explores each type's effect on SNS’ marketing performances. Three hundred three online questionnaires are collected to test the research questions. The results of cluster analysis and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) reveal the following four user types based on the different degrees of social surveillance and self‐surveillance: versatile users, self‐expression users, pass‐along users, and introvert users. Further, the introvert users have the least impact on product‐related information sharing, perception of social presence, purchase intention toward offers on SNS, and emotional experiences in social shopping among the four SNS user types.