Trust Influencers on the Web

The purpose of this study is to develop and empirically test a model of Web trust based on the previously proposed models of trust. Influencers on Web trust studied here are disposition to trust, attitude toward the Web, experience with the Web, anxiety toward the Web, innovativeness toward information technology, and Web ability. The findings indicate that a strong disposition to trust and increased years of Web experience positively influence Web trust. High anxiety toward the Web, positive attitude toward the Web, high innovativeness toward information technology, and high Web ability do not influence Web trust in this study. The designers of new Web sites and redesigners of existing Web sites, pages, or advertisements should consider these factors in order to promote trust in their representative company.     

How online trust evolves over time: The role of social perception

Using customer service scenarios in an online retail context, the current study examines how cognitive and affective trust develop over time and how service failure negatively impacts trust, along with the trust restoration opportunities provided by recovery. Study 1 findings reveal that the relationship between Web site social perception and affective trust is stronger for repeat visitors than for first-time visitors. Study 2 findings indicate that failure timing and recovery duration play important roles in service failure situations. Overall, the results demonstrate that consumer cognitive and affective trust develop through the number of interactions with a retail Web site over time and that increased Web site social perceptions facilitate the trust-building process.     

电子商务信用中介经济功能的实证分析

电子商务信用中介是电子商务市场中的第三方实体机构,其目标是克服电子商务市场的信用障碍与信用风险,提高电子商务市场整体的信用信息与信用意识,形成良好的信用文化.在电子商务实践过程中,第三方信用中介平台扮演了相当重要的角色,它通过制定交易规则、实施交易管理,如实名认证、支付托管、信用评价等手段,构建电子商务市场中的信用机制,从而实现维护公平交易环境、促进交易达成的目标.本文采用调查问卷的方法,通过构建结构方程式模型对第三方信用中介的作用机理进行实证研究.研究结果显示,除实名认证对网站信任的作用未通过验证外,其他研究假设均得到了验证.信用反馈机制的有效性、第三方支付工具的有效性、沟通及互动机制的有效性对交易主体对电子商务网站的信任有正向影响;电子商务网站平台的信任对交易主体的最终购买意向有正向影响.     

Web 2.0 and opportunities for small businesses

The burst of the dot-com balloon closed the era of Web 1.0. In the process, we observed the creation and disappearance of many small businesses globally. The dynamic and linked web pages provided new pathways to online businesses. However, most of the new online business models still followed the traditional practices of the industrial era which could be characterized by closeness, uniformity, and one-way communication. A new set of new technologies, called Web 2.0, offers new opportunities, blurs the boundaries between online and offline activities, opening a new era with flagships of openness, collaboration, and participation. In this study, by reviewing the properties of Web 2.0, we investigate opportunities for small businesses in the Web 2.0 era. The findings of this study can provide helpful guidelines for small businesses to begin using and leveraging Web 2.0.     

Countering Service Information Challenges in the Internet of Services

Business Webs apply the idea of value networks to the WWW. The underlying delivery platform is commonly referred to as the Internet of Services and will certainly have to deal with a great variety and amount of information about services along several service information dimensions. As soon as brokerage, discovery, or community feedback parts are decentralized, there emerge a number of service information challenges (modeling the information in a holistic way, documentation, interlinkage, tool interoperability, distributed querying, inconsistent information, and cooperation of different stakeholders). In this paper, we propose to counter such service information challenges by two artifacts. First, we contribute a Service Ontology based on a sound and rigid foundational ontology. The Service Ontology provides a holistic and consistent way of capturing service information. We apply the recommendations of the W3C Semantic Web Activity whose recent standardization has already opened new possibilities for tool interoperability, interlinkage of information, and distributed querying on the web. However, building and prescribing an ontology in standardized languages is not enough to address all service information challenges. Therefore, as a second contribution, we provide a method around the ontology including a governance framework, guidelines for applying the W3C Semantic Web recommendations, a lifecycle-spanning tool chain, and different levels of applicability. We label our method Semantic Business Web approach, since we build on W3C Semantic Web standards, use and extend them in the Business Web setting. Both artifacts are constructed in an interdisciplinary way by experts participating in the German lighthouse project THESEUS/TEXO. The project’s scenario also serves as a proof of concept evaluation of the artifacts.     

Organizational Assimilation of Web Services Technology: A Research Framework

Web services is an extremely promising technology that has the potential to revolutionize many aspects of information systems. Web services facilitates vendor-, platform-, and language-independent, loosely coupled, inexpensive integration of both internal and external systems. Although there is a general agreement that Web services will have a significant impact on applications of information technology in organizations, there is a disagreement regarding the speed and spread of assimilation due to a multitude of inhibitors. In this article, we identify 3 areas of assimilation of Web services in organizations: information systems departmental assimilation, intraorganizational assimilation, and interorganizational assimilation. We propose a research framework for investigating various issues related to organizational assimilation of Web services. In addition, we developed a projection of the assimilation patterns for the 3 areas of organizational assimilation of Web services. Based on the proposed framework, we outline a research agenda on the organizational assimilation of Web services.     

基于层次模型的消费者生成内容动机研究

随着W eb2.0技术的发展,越来越多的消费者参与网络社区或平台生成各种各样的内容,但是理论界对于消费者生成内容的动机了解还不够全面。本文在借鉴动机理论研究成果的基础上,构建了消费者生成内容动机的层次模型,并以层次模型为基础,对现代企业构建参与式商务模式提出了几点建议。     

Trust Promoting Seals in Electronic Markets

Abstract

In order to promote web sales, companies conducting electronic commerce are constantly seeking viable and efficient ways to increase web traffic. One approach is to build consumers' trust, and ultimately to increase web sales. Many business-to-consumer online merchants follow this approach and display trust-promoting seals on their websites. However, whether these seals really fulfill the tasks they have promised has remained unexplored. This study empirically examines the influence of trust-promoting seals on consumers' online purchasing decisions. The results show that the trust-promoting seals are generally effective in promoting web sales, and some seals enhance promotion better than others.     

Useful Web Sites for International Business Communication Education

Abstract

The World Wide Web presents many opportunities for improving the instructional quality of international business communication related classes by providing access to a large variety of information sources. These sources can be used as supplements to traditional texts, as the basis for specific program assignments, or even as the main focus of a course. An especially useful aspect of these sites is that they can improve information recency and depth when compared with sole reliance on traditional texts. Unfortunately, the sheer quantity of available Web pages can make it difficult to find appropriate sites for a given international business communication topic. To assist educators in locating such relevant sites, we offer summaries and addresses for pages in some of the major areas of international business communication. These selections were chosen both for their relevance to international business communication training and evaluation by Cornell's suggested quality criteria. The article concludes with a discussion of potential applications, problems, and implications for web based international business communication instruction.     

Consumer e-shopping acceptance: Antecedents in a technology acceptance model

This study integrates e-shopping quality, enjoyment, and trust into a technology acceptance model (TAM) to understand consumer acceptance of e-shopping. Online surveys with college students (n = 298) were conducted. E-shopping quality for apparel products consists of four dimensions: web site design, customer service, privacy/security, and atmospheric/experiential. A structural equation model reveals that e-shopping quality determines perceptions of usefulness, trust, and enjoyment, which in turn influence consumers' attitudes toward e-shopping. Consumer perceptions of usefulness and attitude toward e-shopping influence intention to shop online, while perceived ease of use does not influence attitude toward e-shopping. Shopping enjoyment and trust play significant roles in consumers' adoption of e-shopping. This study provides important implications for e-tailers whose web site developers must keep in mind that customers are not only web users with trust/safety and information needs, but also shoppers with service and experiential needs.     

Interoperability: Our exciting and terrifying Web3 future

This article introduces the next major generational evolution of the web: Web3. We review the fundamental evolution of the internet and the web over the past 3 decades, including a brief presentation of the publications in Business Horizons that are important in a discussion of the emergence of Web3. We then discuss what these recent developments mean to organizations, consumers, and the public. Though the degree to which Web3 will be widely adopted is uncertain, these technologies are already creating both exhilarating and terrifying implications for e-commerce, digital media, online social networking, online marketplaces, search engines, supply chain management, and finance, among others. We propose the consideration and management of technical, organizational, and regulatory interoperability for Web3 to deliver on its promises of value and that failure to consider these interoperability components may destroy economic value, consumer confidence, or social issues online. We also call on our fellow researchers to focus on these interoperability issues and how they might impact the positive and negative sides of Web3 technologies to help us understand and shape our Web3 future.     

An Examination of Trust Dimensions across High and Low Dependence Situations

Purpose: Relationship marketing literature has provided support of a multidimensional trust construct; however, there is little consensus on its structure. This article builds on existing theory to propose and empirically test a three-dimensional trust construct including ability, integrity, and benevolence dimensions. Furthermore, the article examines this conceptualization of the construct across different relationship types as established by dependence form.

Methodology: We choose to use a scenario/survey data collection method to replicate specific relationship types for a national purchasing agent sample. This method allows us to obtain adequate sample sizes to compare the relative importance of trust dimensions using structural equation modeling.

Findings: We found empirical evidence to support a three-dimensional trust construct for use in further examination of buyer–seller relationships. In addition, we found differential importance of those dimensions across different relationship forms.

Research Implications: By providing empirical support for a multidimensional trust construct and further specifying the importance of each dimension in various relationship forms, we hope to provide a strong foundation on which to build further trust research.

Practical Implications: In examining trust among purchasing agents, we hope to provide a strong foundation for salespeople to understand how their actions impact their long-term relationships. Understanding that trust in a relationship involves more than simple integrity or completing promises should help boundary spanners develop stronger ties.

Contribution: The main contribution of the article is the concept that trust needs to be researched in ways other than simply asking “Do you trust your supplier?”     

The Moderating Role of Trust in SME Owner/Managers' Decision-Making about Collaboration

This paper analyzes the impact of trust and trust agents on small to medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) ability to derive benefits from it. The findings suggest that trust is a significant factor moderating the way SME owners/managers perceive the potential benefits of networks. These findings support earlier research that posited that networking provides an avenue for SME owners/managers to learn about potential business opportunities. However, Australian owner/managers that belong to networks do not demonstrate behavior and practices typical of either explorative or exploitative networks. Instead, the findings suggest that in addition to the typical networks, a third type of network should be added to the literature—embryo-explorative networks. Such networks describe SMEs owners/managers who attend network meetings and report on what they learn about new opportunities from the networks; however, they do not tend to engage in typical collaborative activities (such as joint marketing venture) as described in the networking literature. Embryo-explorative networks are defined as those that have yet to develop into the explorative networks—probably because there has been insufficient time to build trusting relationships required to foster collaborative ventures that involve some risks.     

物流外包关系中物流服务需求方信任的影响因素研究

文章在国内外文献回顾的基础上构建了研究模型,并进行了实证研究,以探讨物流外包关系中物流服务需求方信任的影响因素及其对信任的作用。研究结论表明:物流服务需求方对以前交易经历的满意度是影响物流服务需求方建立信任的最重要因素,企业声誉和信息的共享是仅次于满意度的影响因素,而对关系进行的投资和合作的时间长度对物流服务需求方建立信任的影响最小或者没有影响。最后根据实证研究结果就第三方物流提供者如何赢得物流服务需求方信任提出了实践建议。     

Web retailing adoption: exploring the nature of internet users Web retailing behaviour

The interaction of consumers and marketers within the Web environment, particularly for retailing/purchasing is a growing area of importance. This paper focuses on examining Internet users adoption of the Web for retail usage. It uses the Technology Acceptance Model Davis (Int. J. Man-Mach. Studies 38 (1993) 475) as a theoretical foundation to explore adoption of this technology for retail usage. The study also adds what are argued to be key consumer characteristics such as Opinion Leadership, Impulsiveness, Web Shopping Compatibility, Internet Self-Efficacy, Perceived Web Security, Satisfaction with web sites, and Shopping Orientation to understand the adoption of Web retailing by Internet users’. A Web based survey was developed and administered, yielding 392 responses. The findings indicate that TAM is a valid theoretical framework to understand users adoption of the Web for retail purposes. Also Internet users’ perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were effected differentially by Opinion Leadership, Web Shopping Compatibility, Internet Self-Efficacy, Perceived Web Security, Impulsiveness, Satisfaction with web sites, and Shopping Orientation.     

Online Focus Groups

The rise of Web 2.0, the advent of greater bandwidth, and new technology platforms have made it possible to extend the range of focus-group research to the online environment. This provides advertising researchers, advertising agencies, and advertisers with opportunities to reach consumers who were heretofore difficult to reach, to create groups with new and different compositions, and to use online collaborative tools not readily available in face-to-face groups. This article reviews online focus-group research, identifies several types of online groups, and contrasts the uses and results of online focus groups with the uses and results of face-to-face focus groups. The article concludes that online and face-to-face venues for focus-group research are complementary, with online focus-group research opening new opportunities for gathering data to inform advertising research, theory, and decision making. The article also suggests that differences between online focus-group research and face-to-face focus-group research, with respect to group interaction and the ability to obtain information, are being eroded as technology provides greater opportunities to create social presence in an online environment.     

网络环境下的中介信任影响机制研究:以酒店预订网站为例

Electronic intermediaries are recognized as one of the most significant B2C business models in the Internet era. A trustworthy intermediary website functions as both an information intermediary and a credibility intermediary. Given the critical role of trust in driving online purchase behaviors, the technology acceptance model (TAM) has been applied to investigating the impact of technology on online trust from the perspective of users’ perception of Web interface. However, consumers’ trust in an electronic intermediary derives from not only technological factors, but also factors of brand reputation and consumers’ individual experiences. We conducted an experiment in the context of hotel booking websites. Results based on structural equation modeling indicate that the impact of an intermediary’s reputation exceeds that of technology acceptance. Besides, reputation sum and reputation distance, which stand for synthesis effect and the cask effect respectively, are the two mechanisms of trust transfer.     

电子商务交易中信任度计算模型研究

信任是建立社会关系的基础,也是建立社会秩序的基本工具。在电子商务领域,信任则是交易能够发生的前提,如何度量信任、计算信任则成为电子商务系统的重要组成部分。本文针对目前电子商务信任管理系统中信任计算模型存在的问题,提出一个综合考虑用户信任度影响因素的信任度计算模型,给出相应的计算公式和方法,并引入信任担保机制、信任奖惩机制等,以克服现行信任管理系统对新用户的不公平以及存在的"freerider 现象"等。     

Trust and Fairness During Strategic Change Processes in Franchise Systems

A very important challenge for franchisors is adapting the strategies of their franchise systems to new threats and opportunities. During such strategic change processes (SCPs) franchisees are often required to make major financial investments and/or adjustments in their trade practices without any guarantee of positive benefits. It is, therefore, important that franchisees trust their franchisors during such change processes and that they perceive the change process as fair. This article aims to generate theory on franchisees?? perceptions of trust and fairness during SCPs. On the basis of case studies regarding eight change processes in four Dutch drugstore franchise systems, this article distinguishes different levels of franchisee trust and discusses five instruments that franchisors can ??institutionalize?? in their franchise systems to influence their franchisees?? trust and fairness perceptions.     

The impact of online customer satisfaction on the yahoo auction in Taiwan

In this article, the authors develop a conceptual model that links website quality, trust, merchandising, customer service, and online satisfaction for yahoo auction in Taiwan. The research objective is to provide initial evidence for the determinants of e-satisfaction (online satisfaction). We examine the role of web quality, trust, merchandising, and customer service in consumer online satisfaction assessments. This conceptual model is empirically tested from 350 consumers across a broader group of online shoppers on yahoo auction by means of internet surveys and structural equation analysis. The results show that the determinants of online trust are website quality, merchandising, and customer service. Website quality, trust, merchandising, and customer service have positive effects on online satisfaction for auction sites. The research findings were reported by discussing the implications of the findings and directions for future research.