Initial Online Consumer Trust (IOCT): The Influence of Third-Party Service Provider Reputation, Website Utility, Electronic Word-of-Mouth, and Previous Experience with Similar Websites

<p>Objectives: The objectives of the study were 1) to conceptualize Initial Online Consumer Trust (IOCT) and 2) to examine the effects of website utility, electronic word-of-mouth, consumer past experiences with similar websites, and third-party service providers' reputation on the development of IOCT. Methods: To explore the research objectives, the study deployed a 2X3 experimental design that involved six experimental groups. Subjects were recruited from the undergraduate student pool at the University of Mississippi, School of Business. The vignettes used in the study was hypothetical book selling websites, one with the presence of third-party service providers and the other without any third-party service providers. Hypothetical customer feedbacks -positive or negative - were provided to the subjects to manipulate the effect of electronic word-of-mouth. The website utility effects, i.e., perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were measured with multi-items scales adapted from the literature. Consumer past experiences with similar websites were conceptualized as historically positive effect and historically negative effect invoked by the new website and measured with a three-item scale each. Results: The result of this study suggested that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use supported the development of IOCT. In addition, historically positive affect and historically negative affect invoked by an unknown website were significantly associated with the development of IOCT. ; Electronic word-of-mouth and effect of third-party service providers were not significant. Conclusion: This study discussed and delineated initial online consumer trust and explored its antecedents that may explain the importance of IOCT. New web vendors may employ the insights from this research to address typical business challenges within online environment.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D. in Business Administration

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Management Information Systems

Year dc:date.available

2014

Author dc:creator

• Mukhopadhyay, Surma

Contributors dc:contributor

• Brian J. Reithel
• Douglas W. Vorhies
• Sumali Conlon

• Affect
• Online Initial Trust
• Service Provider
• Website Utility
• Word of Mouth
• Management Information Systems

Repository record dc:identifier

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/1434

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:egrove.olemiss.edu:etd-2433