Personalization has a Price,Controllability is the Currency: Predictors for the Intention to use Personalized eGovernment Websites

Content personalization on government websites provides individuals with a personal selection of information. In this study, we determine the role of trust in a government organization, trust in the technology, and perceived controllability on the intention to use content personalization for eGovernment websites. A total of 1141 participants were presented with scenarios describing a nonpersonalized webpage and one of four approaches to online content personalization, followed by an online survey. Results were analyzed by means of structural equation modeling. Perceived controllability is the most important antecedent of the intention to use online content personalization for eGovernment; trust in the technology also has a considerable influence. Trust in the government organization plays a minor role. The adaptable approach to online content personalization has the highest likelihood of citizen acceptance. When designing personalized eGovernment information services, designers should instill a feeling of controllability over the coming about of tailored content and trust in the technology.     

Consumers’ value perception and value construction: the case of bottled water in the Middle East

This study illustrates how consumers realize the concept of value creation when making quick selections for a commodity in the Saudi market. Data were collected through a self-administered survey to customers; 1,045 completed and usable responses were received and analysed. The proposed model was tested through structural equation modelling using AMOS 22. Results indicate that product design and brand trust affect electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM), and product design, brand trust, and e-WOM influence consumers’ value creation. However, e-WOM does not mediate the relationship between product design and consumer value nor does it mediate the relationship between brand trust and consumers’ value creation. This study focused on one product (bottled water). Caution must be exercised in generalization of the results to other products/countries. Theoretically, this study extends the perception of value creation on a commodity and the influence of trust on perceived value. Although this study is based on a sample of Saudi Arabian consumers that is oversampling the age group of young consumers, it extends the rare empirical evidence base on the perception of value creation in the bottled water market, and the influence of trust on perceived value. The results suggest that firms could benefit from altering the design of their bottled water products to create higher perceived value and higher brand trust, differentiating themselves further from competition. The study contributes to the existing literature on consumers’ perceptions of bottled and branded water, taking into account e-WOM communication, and providing rare evidence on brand trust from outside of Europe and North America.     

Cross-buying evaluations in the retail banking industry

Is a customer’s past purchase experience of traditional banking products applicable to the continuing purchase of insurance and investment products at a bank branch? Are service attributes used with similar extensions evaluated differently from when used with dissimilar extensions? In response to these questions, this study develops and examines a framework of service attributes (e.g., locational and one-stop shopping convenience, functional and technical service quality, and firm reputation and size) having positive effects on cross-buying. Meanwhile, this study also examines the mediating roles of satisfaction and trust on the relationship between services attributes and cross-buying. Our results indicate that the relative importance of locational convenience and functional service quality is likely to decline, while the relative importance of one-stop shopping convenience and firm size is likely to increase as category dissimilarity increases. Technical service quality and firm reputation only have indirect effects on cross-buying dissimilar product categories through trust. Instead, satisfaction plays the mediating role for cross-buying similar product categories. Our findings reinforce the view that the relative effects of service attributes, satisfaction and trust on cross-buying vary under different category similarity conditions.     

The Role of Buyer Trust in Outsourced CRM: Its Influence on Organizational Learning and Performance

Purpose: Company outsourcing of customer relationship management (CRM) functions is increasing (Kalaignanam and Varadarajan 2012). Although outsourcing CRM may provide financial benefits, the tasks of developing and utilizing the complex, cross-functional processes needed to gain enhanced customer knowledge from CRM may be more difficult when some or all CRM activities are outsourced. Trust in the information provided by the outsourced CRM supplier is vital. In this study, the authors examine the influence of buyer trust in its outsourced CRM supplier on cross-functional learning processes and firm performance within the buyer firm.

Methodology: Data were collected from a survey of marketing managers in 221 firms. LISREL 9.2 was used to assess convergent, discriminant, and nomologic validity using the two-step approach (Anderson and Gerbing 1988). Convergent and discriminant validity were evaluated in the measurement model phase, whereas the structural model provided an appraisal of nomologic validity.

Findings: The results provide evidence of buyer firm trust in the outsourced CRM supplier playing a critical role in the buyer firm’s success with information sharing, and both trust and information sharing strongly influencing information interpretation and information access in the buyer firm. All three organizational learning processes positively influence buyer firm customer satisfaction/retention and market performance.

Research implications: An important area for future research is the possibility of varying levels of trust needed for success with outsourced CRM depending on the buyer firm’s goals for its CRM system. It is possible that the simpler CRM functions could be outsourced effectively through efficiency strategies that do not require significant levels of trust, whereas the more complex CRM activities that affect organizational learning require more stringent coordination and inter-organizational development. Varadarajan’s (2009) cost versus quality classifications of outsourcing could be a useful starting point for this type of analysis. Considering the finding in this study that information sharing is critical for information interpretation and information access in the buyer firm, another area for future research is possible differences in the extent of information sharing required by firms that are outsourcing CRM versus those that conduct the CRM function in-house. One starting point could be possible differences in relevance among Maltz and Kohli’s (1996) factors affecting information dissemination.

Practical implications: For effective use of CRM data, it is important for buyer firms to develop trust in their outsourced CRM supplier. Managers can assist in this by communicating qualifications of the outsourced CRM supplier, such as any trade-specific certifications, awards, information about the supplier’s number of years in business, and examples of other companies the supplier has assisted. Managers can also help employees develop confidence in the supplier’s integrity by sharing the supplier’s code of ethics and serving as a champion for the supplier. In addition, firms engaged in outsourced CRM are encouraged to develop reward systems that motivate employees to build relationships with their counterparts in the supplier firm, and it would be useful for the buyer firm to help its employees understand the importance of the CRM outsourcing relationship to the buyer firm’s success. Finally, it is important for management to provide opportunities for interaction between the outsourcing partner and key buyer firm employees who will use the CRM data, to encourage effective processes in information sharing, information interpretation, and information access.

Contribution of the article: This article addresses the significance of outsourcing the CRM function and provides evidence that buyer trust in its CRM supplier is a critical factor in its utilization of CRM data for organizational learning and firm performance. It also demonstrates that effective sharing of information, cross-functional integration of customer data, and CRM information accessibility are critical for firm success.     

Misleading Forecasts in Accounting Estimates: A Form of Ethical Blindness in Accounting Standards?

Drawing from research on strategic choice, this study investigates the relationship between market turbulence and firms’ sustainable behavior, in the context of sustainability-related institutional adversity. It argues that the relationship between market turbulence and sustainability is mediated by network embeddedness, and this mediating role in turn is moderated by a firm’s innovative orientation. Data collected from a sample of Ontario restaurants inform predictions about firms’ propensity to adopt local wines in their portfolios, despite the limited market and normative support that these wines receive compared with imported wines. The study shows that market turbulence enhances sustainable firm behavior, through the development of strong network relationships. Furthermore, the mediating effect of network embeddedness is particularly salient among firms that exhibit a stronger innovative orientation. These findings reveal how and when turbulent market conditions can contribute to a firm’s sustainable behaviors in the presence of limited institutional support for such behaviors.     

Particularistic and system trust among small and medium enterprises: A comparative study in China's transition economy

Guanxi, a type of particularistic trust observed in Confucian societies has mostly been viewed as a static phenomenon. It is not clear how the role of guanxi changes over time during institutional transitions. This field study of twenty one small and medium enterprises (SMEs) located in two large cities in Western China examines the changes in SME behaviors since the beginning of economic reforms in 1979. Based on neo-institutionalist trust perspectives, the article argues that the role of guanxi also arose from the paucity of market system trust created by the absence of well-established market institutions during China's transition from a centrally planned to a market economy. Guanxi became relatively less important when market system trust based on well-established institutions was firmly established. Regardless of past practices, the dynamics of institutional transitions leading to the establishment of system trust inevitably reshapes managerial as well as business behaviors, with adaptation occurring to the new rules of the market economy.     

Profiting from product innovation: The impact of legal, marketing, and technological capabilities in different environmental conditions

Although product innovation is a key tool for firms competing in the marketplace, innovating firms often fail to obtain economic returns from their product innovations. This study examines the moderating effects of legal, marketing, and technological capabilities on the relationship between product innovation and firm performance in different environmental conditions in order to identify how a firm can leverage these capabilities to profit from product innovation. Based on the data of 223 Chinese firms, this study finds that legal capability positively moderates the relationship between product innovation and firm performance, especially when competitive intensity is high; the moderating effect of marketing capability is positive, although it is weakened by market turbulence; and technological capability has a negative moderating effect, which becomes more significant as technological turbulence increases.     

How investor behavioral factors influence investment satisfaction, trust in investment company, and reinvestment intention

The purpose of this study is to provide strategic implications for the marketing revitalization of real state. By sampling investment behavioral factors of investors in the Gumi area of South Korea (ROK), which is emerging as a promising investment area, the study shows their effects on investment satisfaction, investment firm trust, and intention to reinvest. The behavioral factors, adopted from previous studies, are profitability investment stability, investment regulations, investment location, and investment well-being. Location proves to be the most important factor in investment satisfaction, followed by liquidity, profitability, and well-being. In addition, the structural relativity of satisfaction to reinvestment intention and trust in the investment firm has positive effects. The results of the study reinforce major characteristics for a real estate marketer to consider and provide insights for future studies.     

Developing the Causal Model of Online Store Success

This article introduces an Online Store Success Model (OSM) that reflects the characteristics of information systems, marketing, and e-commerce, and then empirically test the model. The OSM has five dimensions: system quality, information quality, service quality, trust, and customer loyalty. The model posits the causal relationships between the dimensions. In order to empirically test the model, a research model is developed and empirically analyzed by structural equation modeling using data from 244 customers on 69 online store websites. The results show that system quality significantly influences service quality and trust; information quality significantly influences service quality and customer loyalty; service quality also significantly influences trust and customer loyalty; and trust has a significant influence on customer loyalty.     

Branded product information search on the Web: The role of brand trust and credibility of online information sources

Drawing upon the cost–benefit framework and trust mechanism as a risk reducer, this study examines the influence of brand factors and source credibility on branded product information Web searches. The online survey was conducted within the pre-purchase context of digital camera brands. The results revealed that brand factors did not influence overall branded information search efforts. However, brand trust and source credibility appeared to influence the different types of online information sources sought.     

Technological opportunism and firm performance: Moderating contexts

Technological opportunism is a sense-and-respond capability of firms with respect to new technologies. This research examines the effect of technological opportunism on firm performance from the dynamic capabilities' perspective, and how such an effect depends on relevant firm and/or market contingencies. Analyzing data from a variety of Taiwanese manufacturing industries, the authors find that technological opportunism has a positive effect on firm performance. The technological opportunism–firm performance link is negatively moderated by market orientation and network externality, and positively moderated by technological turbulence. These results confirm the underlying theme of the dynamic capabilities approach to technological changes and contextual (environmental and organizational) relevance. The finding that technological opportunism and market orientation fail to produce any synergistic impact implies that technological opportunism is a more influential source of a firm's competitive advantage.     

Success Factors in Cooperative Online Marketplaces: Trust as the Social Capital and Value Generator in Vendors-Exchange Relationships

The business reliance on cooperative online exchanges for business-to-business transactions is on the rise. This paper examines the factors contributing to the success of vendor-exchange relationships in this type of marketplace. We use a Critical Realism approach to identify constructs salient to vendors-exchange relationships. A synthesis of value creation, social capital, and trust theories is used for conceptualizing the model. The model is tested using the data from a survey of vendors participating in a cooperative exchange. Results indicated that value creation was the main source of continuance in vendors-exchange relationship. However, the perception of value depended to a larger degree on the relationship quality and to a lesser degree on transactional exchanges (using the exchange's technology solutions as the sources of transaction), indicating the strength and extent of vendors-exchange relationship is an intangible asset for the exchange company. We also found that the exchange company's innovativeness was critical to the perceived quality of transactional exchanges, whereas perception of unfair treatment and communication quality influenced relationship quality. The results also indicated that trust was the main source for the social capital that contributed to perceived value of relationship. The ability of the exchange company to build a community was another factor contributing to the success of this relationship.     

The impact of blockchain technology on the online purchase behavior of green agricultural products

The purpose of this study is to identify and investigate the types of trust and their impact mechanisms in the application of blockchain technology for green agricultural products. A mixed research approach was used in this study. First, qualitative in-depth interviews with consumers were conducted to identify the technological path (blockchain technology), and the information disclosure path (environmental information of green agricultural products) that affect consumer trust. Two types of consumer trust were also identified, namely, cognitive trust in blockchain technology (digital trust), and instantaneous trust in blockchain technology disclosure information (swift trust), both of which play a role in influencing consumers’ immediate purchase. Then, based on the interview results, a theoretical model for this study was developed by combining signal theory and trust transfer theory. Through a quantitative survey, 474 valid data were collected to empirically examine the role of consumer blockchain technology experience and environmental information transparency perceived on digital trust and swift trust, and the role of both types of trust on impulse buying. The results show that consumer blockchain technology experience can significantly and positively affect the environmental information transparency perceived. And both have a positive effect on digital trust and swift trust. Also both trusts have a significant effect on impulse buying. Further mediating effects confirm the environmental information transparency perceived as an important intrinsic mechanism by which the blockchain technology experience influences consumer trust. The results of this study add an empirical basis for the role of blockchain technology. It also provides a reference for technology adoption by related companies.     

How absorptive capacity moderates the value of firm innovativeness in turbulent markets

Drawing on the complementarity perspective and contingent resource‐based theory, this study develops a moderated moderation framework to investigate how absorptive capacity moderates the value of firm innovativeness under market turbulence. The results of the survey data from 402 firms reveal that the efficacy of firm innovativeness is not universal but simultaneously contingent on absorptive capacity and market turbulence. Furthermore, absorptive capacity does not always enhance the value of firm innovativeness; the positive moderating effect of absorptive capacity manifests itself only when market turbulence is relatively high. These findings also highlight that change in customer needs is a key factor affecting the complementarity of relevant resources and capabilities. Thus, this study contributes to advances in theory and has new practical implications. Copyright © 2015 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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.     

Give your hunger a new option: Understanding consumers' continuous intention to use online food delivery apps using trust transfer theory

The recent growth of online food delivery apps (OFDAs) centralized the restaurant's business in electronic distribution platforms. Recently, a few researchers have attempted to understand consumer behaviour towards using OFDAs. However, various aspects related to the usage of OFDAs have not been explored. Drawing from trust transfer theory, the purpose of this study is to fill this gap by investigating the trust transfer from OFDAs to restaurants and to address the boundary condition of trust transfer by examining the moderating effect of perceived effectiveness of dispute resolution (PEDR) between trust in OFDAs and trust in a restaurant. The model was tested via structural equation modelling (SEM) using data obtained from 836 users of OFDAs through structured questionnaire. The results show that trust in OFDAs positively influence the trust in restaurant, which ultimately leads to the consumers' continuous purchase intention. Further, PEDR positively moderates the relationship between trust in OFDAs and trust in a restaurant. Additionally, disposition to trust and online reviews significantly develops consumer trust in OFDAs. The present research makes substantial theoretical and practical contributions as it develops a trust transfer mechanism by considering an emerging mobile-commerce field. The study provides a first theoretical outlook on consumers' continuous intention to use OFDAs, using trust transfer theory, which has not been considered so far. The findings provide information for food delivery platforms on how to manage conflict resolution to succeed in the market and help restaurants in selecting the most effective food delivery platforms with which to collaborate.     

Interactive effects of information exchange,relationship capital and environmental uncertainty on international joint venture (IJV) performance: An emerging markets perspective

Prior research on the role of international joint ventures (IJV) in the emerging markets generally ignores the impact of information exchange on IJV performance as well as the mediating role of relationship capital (a key measure of competitive dynamics and co-evolution) and the moderating impact of environmental uncertainty in this process. This paper addresses these important research gaps by exploring the direct effect of information exchange on IJV performance as well as indirect (mediated) effect through mutual trust and reciprocal commitment, two key components of relationship capital. In addition, this paper investigates the role of environmental uncertainty as a moderator of these mediating effects. Results from a study of 205 contractual IJVs in China, a highly competitive and dynamic emerging market, show that foreign and local partners collaborate and co-evolve through regular information exchange that helps them build relationship capital with each other in the form of mutual trust and reciprocal commitment, which in turn leads to better IJV performance. In addition, environmental uncertainty negatively moderates (weakens) the positive effects of information exchange on mutual trust and reciprocal commitment but not their impact on IJV performance. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for future research on the role of relationship capital in the successful formation and management of IJVs in the emerging markets.     

电子商务环境下的信用流探讨

信用是电子商务的灵魂,信用的流转是电子商务的关键,没有信用的支持,电子商务就不可能获得长足的发展。信用已成为我国电子商务发展的瓶颈,应建立一个以第三方征信机构为核心的电子商务信用模式,建立覆盖全社会的网络系统,进一步提升商业信用的质量,形成信用的良性循环     

Trust or Hierarchy? Changing Relationships Between Large and Small Firms in France

An influential position in the contemporary study of industrial reorganisation discusses the construction of inter-firm trust as a way to adjust the organisation of firms to the flexibility required by the market. The conventional picture of the relation between large firms in France and small firms who supply them, suggests that it is very hard for them to construct such trust-based networks. Instead, it is one of atomised sub-contracting: the large firm gives very detailed specifications for the job that needs to be done, and the subcontractor executes. In recent years, however, several accounts have suggested that this arms-length relationship between larger firms and suppliers is changing.The argument of this paper is that, while the relationships between suppliers and large firms are indeed undergoing tremendous changes, the category of trust does not appear to capture the nature of these changes very well. The combined use of their market power and the political resources that large firms have at their disposal, allow them to remain the stronger partner in what always was an asymmetric power relationship. The argument is supported by detailed discussions of just-in-time delivery, quality issues and the role of the large firms in organising small firm finance.     

上下游企业的信任与赊销战略——兼论区域金融发展的干扰效应

以沪深股市1990—2009年间的非金融上市公司为研究样本,利用Tobit模型和Inter-val模型对上下游企业的信任对上市公司赊销战略的影响以及区域金融发展对前两者关系的干扰效应展开研究。研究发现:上下游企业的总信任以及上游企业的信任会促使上市公司增加使用赊销战略,而下游企业的信任则会诱使上市公司减少赊销战略的使用;区域金融发展和上下游企业的总信任以及区域金融发展和上游企业的信任在对赊销战略的影响上是替代关系,但区域金融发展和下游企业的信任两者在影响公司赊销战略上的不确定关系仍待证实。