Consumer Trust And Dynamics Of Trust Evolution In The Mobile Commerce Environment

The development of mobile commerce needs a credible environment. However, it is more difficult to build consumer trust in mobile commerce since the main use of wireless communication networks and mobile devices. How to establish, maintain and increase consumer trust in mobile commerce, and thus transforming potential customers into actual customers and further into loyal customers is a key problem in current research and practice.Cultivating consumer trust in mobile commerce is a continuous and dynamic process, which extends from initial trust formation to continuous trust development. On the basis of time-varying nature of trust, from the static and the dynamic perspectives, this paper conducts a systematic study of consumer trust and dynamics of trust evolution in the mobile commerce environment. From the static perspective, this study respectively develops and empirically tests a model of trust transfer, a model of initial trust building and a model of continuous trust. From the dynamic perspective, this study develops and empirically tests a dynamic model of trust evolution. The research work and the contributions in this study are as below.Firstly, based on the integration of theory of trust and technology acceptance model and the classification theory, this study builds an online-to-mobile trust transfer model to establish initial trust in mobile stock, and analyzes the effects of trust gained through experience with online stock on initial trust in mobile stock. The empirical results show that trust in online stock not only has a direct impact on initial trust in mobile stock, but also has indirect effects on initial trust through other variables.Secondly, considering the factors of service characteristics, firm characteristics, environment characteristics and consumer characteristic, this study builds a comprehensive model of initial consumer trust in mobile commerce and analyzes the effects of ubiquity, information quality, compatibility, perceived reputation, perceived size, structural assurance and disposition to trust on shaping initial consumer trust in mobile stock. The results indicate that service characteristics and environment characteristics have significant impacts on initial trust in mobile stock. Consumer characteristic not only significantly affects initial trust, but also has positively moderating effects.Thirdly, Base on the technology acceptance model, this study builds a model of continuous trust in mobile commerce and analyzes the impacts of perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, convenience, perceived security, propensity to trust and information quality on continuous trust in mobile stock and usage intention to the service. The empirical results indicate that information quality, propensity to trust, perceived security and perceived usefulness have positive impacts on continuous trust in mobile stock. Continuous trust not only has an important influence on usage intention, but also has strong mediating effects.Fourthly, Based on the extended valence theory, self-perception theory and IS expectation-confirmation theory, this study builds a three-stage theoretical model of trust evolution in mobile commerce and explains the law of the dynamics of trust evolution. The longitudinal results show that in pre-usage stage, trust not only directly affects usage behavior, but also has indirectly influence on it through other variables; in usage stage, usage behavior has significant feedback effects on the cognitive or psychological factors in the future; in post-usage stage, consumer evaluations have significant impact on trust, which forms new trust and further will enter a new round cycle, reflecting the law of trust evolution.