Consumer trust in e-commerce - The role of electronic word-of-mouth
Abstract
Most recent studies on consumer behavior in e-commerce have investigated the relationship between electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and online consumer trust, but little studies considered the impact of eWOM on trust determinants. The paper aims to tackle this literature gap by developing a new model to investigate effects of the different aspects of electronic word-of-mouth and these determinants on overall trust in the online business. The study uses a structural equation model approach to analyze data surveys of 522 online consumers. The empirical results imply that online consumers seek and use social forums and feedback to identify the level of confidence before making their intention to buy from a specific provider. Electronic word-of-mouth was found to significantly influence three dimensions of trust, including integrity, competence, and benevolence, whereas overall trust in an online vendor is also found to affect purchase intention positively. Moreover, the findings enable us to fundamentally highlight how trust mechanism works in the online business, and suggest some managerial implications.
Keywords: electronic word-of-mouth, overall trust, purchase intention