Online Trust: an International Study Of Subjects’ Willingness to Shop at Online Merchants, Including the Effects of Promises and of Third Party Guarantees
Publisher DOI
Abstract
Significant differences exist among consumers’ online
shopping behavior in different international markets.
This paper compares consumer behavior in four different
markets: (1) The US, the largest and most mature
market, (2) Germany, a similarly advanced western
market (3) China, the fastest growing online market,
but one where consumers are plagued by incidents
of counterfeits, forgeries, and spoiled or defective
items, and (4) Singapore, an advanced market, culturally
similar in some ways to China, but with a strong
legal system.
We performed laboratory experiments simultaneously
in all four countries. We used three experimental
treatments: (1) No assurances of product quality or
authenticity, (2) promises of quality and authenticity,
and (3) promises backed up by third party assurances.
We examined subjects’ responses for all three treatments,
and for vendors’ with different degrees of riskiness.
We confirmed that significant differences exist in
consumer behavior, but these differences were not
always what we expected. Chinese consumers do
appear to have trust in their best online vendors. US
consumers appear to treat online shopping very similarly
to the way they treat shopping in physical venues.
shopping behavior in different international markets.
This paper compares consumer behavior in four different
markets: (1) The US, the largest and most mature
market, (2) Germany, a similarly advanced western
market (3) China, the fastest growing online market,
but one where consumers are plagued by incidents
of counterfeits, forgeries, and spoiled or defective
items, and (4) Singapore, an advanced market, culturally
similar in some ways to China, but with a strong
legal system.
We performed laboratory experiments simultaneously
in all four countries. We used three experimental
treatments: (1) No assurances of product quality or
authenticity, (2) promises of quality and authenticity,
and (3) promises backed up by third party assurances.
We examined subjects’ responses for all three treatments,
and for vendors’ with different degrees of riskiness.
We confirmed that significant differences exist in
consumer behavior, but these differences were not
always what we expected. Chinese consumers do
appear to have trust in their best online vendors. US
consumers appear to treat online shopping very similarly
to the way they treat shopping in physical venues.
Date Issued
2016
Publication Type
Conference Item
Language(s)
en
Author(s)
Clemons, E | |
Wilson, J | |
Hess, T | |
Fei, R | |
JIN, F |
Additional Credits
Publisher
IEEE
ISSN
1530-1605
ISBN
978-0-7695-5670-3
Title of Event
Project(s)
Digitale Wertschöpfung und Bepreisung
Access(Rights)
restricted