Information privacy concerns in the customer relationship management context: A comparison of consumer attitudes in the United States, China, and Taiwan

The objective of this study is to develop a holistic conceptual model of consumers' information privacy concerns in the Customer Relationship Management context and to conduct an empirical test of the model. Also, the focus of this study is to investigate how the cultural differences influence consumers' attitudes about their information privacy and to find differences in levels of consumers' information privacy concerns in the U.S., China, and Taiwan. The final point of this study is to find the relationships among the variables in the information privacy concerns model.; An empirical study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire for the main phase of the research. The targeted respondents in the study were consumers who have experience in CRM service. Five hundred and ninety-five questionnaires were completed (177 from the U.S., 195 from China, and 193 from Taiwan). The respondents were from each of the following university and college programs: EMBA, MBA, four-year undergraduate, and two-year undergraduate. The response rate was 85%. Finally, the responses from the 511 consumers with CRM experience were analyzed.; This study built a conceptual model describing the primary variables associated with individuals' information privacy concerns in the CRM context. The framework constructed seven variables: (1) Trust, (2) Social Exchange, (3) Knowledge about CRM, (4) Procedural Fairness, (5) Perceptions of Government Involvement, (6) Perceptions of Corporate Policies, and (7) Consumers' Information Privacy Concerns in the CRM context.; The results showed there are significant differences in information privacy concerns among the respondents from the U.S., China, and Taiwan. Furthermore, a path analysis was used to examine the links in the model. There were strong relationships among the above seven variables. Our study results indicated that consumers' trust and knowledge about CRM influence their information privacy concerns directly.; Our study results suggest marketers should understand their customers' information privacy concerns in the CRM context, so they can provide efficient CRM service for targeted customers. Our findings will have an impact on companies' decision making for CRM investments. Furthermore, understanding the cultural bases for consumer behavior in the U.S., China, and Taiwan can give marketers knowledge needed to succeed in international marketing. The results of this study can help public policymakers to identify specific information practices, and help with effective regulation to protect consumers' information privacy. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...