| Under the theme of “Trust in Business-to-Consumer (B-to-C) Electronic Commerce,” this dissertation investigates online consumers' trust related issues in three essays. The first essay proposes a holistic, process-oriented multi-dimensional trust formation model, which can explicate the complex and dynamic phenomena of trust in B-to-C online exchange. In order to validate the dimensions, two semantic network content analyses are conducted: one for the academics' descriptions of trust in B-to-C electronic commerce, and another for the practitioners'. Using the insights gained from the first essay, the second essay deals with a trust-based consumer decision-making model in electronic commerce. To identify the factors affecting a consumer's perception of trustworthiness, ten important factors were selected from an extensive review of trust literature as well as from the results of the first essay. To test the proposed trust-based consumer-decision making model empirically, a survey is carried out. In the third essay, the question is asked: “are there any consumer characteristics or perception profiles that tend to be more associated with a consumer's perception of trust?” A data mining application (APRIORI algorithm) is used to generate association rules.; From the theoretical perspective, the first essay contributes to the literature by suggesting a process-oriented multi-dimensional trust formation model. The second essay suggests a framework of antecedents and consequences of trust from a consumer's perspective in a company's website and examines the post-purchasing intentions influencing a consumer's repurchase decisions. Some results of the third essay provide evidence to support the research hypothesis of the second essay.; From a practical perspective, the first essay identifies specific dimensions of trust that exist in the academic and practitioner literature on trust, and compares and contrasts the two. The results of the second essay highlight several trust-enhancing factors that guide the successful completion of e-commerce transactions in B-to-C environments. The findings of the third essay extend our knowledge of the association relationships among factors that affect a consumer's trust and behavioral commitment. |
