Search results

Previous studies have attempted to address online uncertainties from the relationship marketing perspective. The purpose of this paper is to argue that the integration of media richness theory (MRT) and cognitive fit theory (CFT) can contribute a new perspective in addressing consumers’ transaction-specific uncertainties in online retailing.

On the basis of MRT and CFT, a research model was developed by correlating online channel media richness (OCMR), online–offline information integration (OOII), information privacy concern, perceived deception and online loyalty. The model was empirically examined based on survey data collected from 258 multi-channel consumers in China.

An analysis of structural equation model showed that OCMR is negatively associated with information privacy concern and perceived deception but is not significant to online loyalty. Information privacy concern has a negative influence on online loyalty, but the effect of perceived deception is not significant. Moreover, information privacy concern is positively related to perceived deception. The OOII strengthens the influence of OCMR but not the moderating effect of integrated promotion, product and price information on the relationship between OCMR and online loyalty.

This study contributes to the extant literature on online retailing by examining the effect of OCMR on online transaction uncertainties. Information integrity in the form of OOII was proposed to complement OCMR. Results have shown that OCMR is significant in reducing online uncertainties, and OOII strengthens this effect, thereby enhancing online loyalty.

This study aims to examine the effects of internet self-efficacy and internet involvement on privacy concern and the effect of privacy concern on the frequency of online transactions. The study also seeks to examine the direct effect of internet self-efficacy and internet involvement on the frequency of online transactions.

A structural equation model was developed to test the hypotheses. The model was tested using the LISREL 8.8 software and both structural and measurement parameters were estimated.

Findings suggest that internet self-efficacy and internet involvement affect privacy concern negatively; and privacy concern, in turn, affects frequency of online transactions negatively. Findings also indicate that the direct effect of internet self-efficacy and internet involvement on the frequency of online transactions is positive. All parameters are significant and in the hypothesized direction.

Findings highlight the significance of internet self-efficacy and internet involvement in explaining both privacy concern and online transactions. The negative impact of privacy concern shows strategically why businesses should take measures to protect privacy of consumers and assure them that the information they provide is protected and secure.

This research contributes to the debate on privacy concern and adds to the growing body of literature on the impact of privacy concern on online transactions. Both antecedents and consequence of privacy concern are examined in the study.

The purpose of this paper is to propose and empirically test a theoretical model that considers the predictors of an individual’s perceptions of information privacy, and also how it relates to his/her behavioral intention toward approaching hospital web sites.

This paper collects data using survey methodology. A total of 331 usable participants are gathered and analyzed via structural equation modeling.

Significant predictors of information privacy concerns include a stated online privacy policy and a hospital’s reputation. Further, online privacy policy predicts a hospital’s reputation. Finally, hospital reputation and information privacy concerns significantly predict an individual’s behavioral intention toward approaching hospital web sites.

The study confirmed that an online privacy policy and reputation can effectively alleviate specific information privacy concerns; therefore, this may indicate that these two factors should be considered whenever investigating individuals’ information privacy concerns.

To acquire a good reputation and to diminish individuals’ information privacy concerns toward hospital web sites, hospitals should pay attention to the posting of an online privacy policy and communicating such policies to given individuals.

This paper fulfils the gap of exploring the relationship among online privacy policy, organization reputation, and information privacy concerns. Further, the hypothesized model and its findings could also provide useful information for managers who are intent on boosting hospital web site usage frequency patterns.

The purpose of this paper is to examine antecedents of consumer online spending.

A sample of 766 college students in the USA completed surveys using intercept interviews on a college campus. The research examines the consumer's level of technological savvy, experience with online shopping, level of confidence that online activities are not monitored, worry about other parties obtaining credit card information, comfort providing personal information online, and concern for online privacy when predicting the amount a consumer will spend online.

The findings reveal that consumer experience with online shopping and level of comfort with providing personal information online were significant predictors of the amount spent online. Surprisingly, privacy concerns were not a significant factor in online spending.

The results provide useful information to online marketers and privacy advocates by revealing factors that influence the amount spent by consumers via the internet.

This paper fills an identified gap in the literature on online shopping in that most research to date has either focused on regulatory issues or consumer demographics related to online privacy concerns.

Past research on internet privacy has examined various aspects of privacy regulation and consumer privacy concerns. The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model that links anteceding environmental factors with the resulting consumer responses using the power‐responsibility equilibrium perspective.

An online survey of 182 net shoppers was conducted whereby respondents were asked to recall a recent web site registration that required them to provide personal information online.

The results indicate that robust perceived business policies and governmental regulation reduce consumer privacy concern. More interestingly, the data show that a perceived lack of business policy or governmental regulation will result in consumers attempting to regain power balance through a variety of responses. As predicted, increased concern resulted in higher power‐enhancing responses such as the fabrication of personal information, use of privacy‐enhancing technologies and refusal to purchase.

To reduce consumer privacy concern and subsequent negative responses, organizations need to pay close attention to their privacy policies through greater self‐regulation, third‐party accreditation and to ensure the presence of compliance mechanisms that support and check the marketing and collection activities of their organization and related parties. Regulators can reduce consumer concern by further defining and improving the legal framework for protecting consumer privacy on the internet. In addition, governments should consider overseeing third‐party privacy accreditation as well as firm and industry self‐regulation. Finally, to improve consumer perceptions of privacy protection, enhanced regulatory privacy protection should be communicated to the public along with a response outlet for privacy concerns so that consumers know that they should report privacy‐related complaints to a regulatory agency.

The paper examines how business policies and regulation influence consumer online privacy concern, and the resulting consequences on internet user behavior.

The present study aims to identify and study the online privacy concerns, its explanatory variables and their affect on reactions and online purchasing behavior of Indian consumers. Globalization means that companies are setting manufacturing units where their cost dynamics are most attractive and then servicing the customers in different markets. Therefore, today, most of the globalized firms are using technology to overcome physical barriers with the customer. The value chains are being reorganized to come up with innovative strategies for sales, delivery and service channels. These strategies use Internet as a competitive tool, thereby providing marketers with a completely new landscape to work with. This channel means that now even the tangibles (products) are being sold on the basis of intangibles (services). In this landscape, the success of an online business depends on its capability to think globally and act locally. Sensitivity displayed by a company to effects of cultural nuances on a consumer’s psychological constructs will determine the success of a company and its strategy. It is in this backdrop that the current study was undertaken.

To establish a relationship of the consumer privacy concerns and consumers’ reactions and their online purchase behavior, data were collected on the basis of a self-administered structured questionnaire. Data were collected from 150 respondents. Confirmatory factor analysis in LISREL (8.70) was done to check the validity of the scale. Incremental fit indices and parsimonious fit indices were used to interpret whether the model fit the data. Further, data were analyzed using factor analysis, correlation and chi-square tests.

The study found several significant correlations between consumer’s online privacy and their behavior. The study made attempt to study only linkages and not a causal relationship. This study found that there was a correlation between online privacy concerns and consumer behavior. Indian consumers opted to voice and complain about privacy concerns, and hence, companies need to invest in recovery strategies. Furthermore, Indian consumers exhibited more of a refrained behavior rather than hedonic purchase behavior. However, refrained behavior was a first step toward the latter. To promote refrained behavior, marketers need to work with a model which provides Indian consumers with an assurance of procedural fairness and fair information practices. These companies need to invest in software, rewards, detailed privacy notices and tangibles to motivate customers into transacting online. Armed with this information a marketer can also invest into the right kind of privacy and security tools.

Due to the limited sample size, the results of the study can be generalized to a limited extent.

The results would help online marketers maneuver the target consumer’s behavior in the desired direction. The results would help companies design and invest in the right kind of privacy and security tools, for the target segments matching the sample.

The manuscript is based on a unique data set collected for this study. The references have been cited as per American Psychological Association (APA) rules. The work is original.

This paper advocates for banks to understand customers' online privacy concerns, use those insights to segment consumers and design tailored sales strategies to build a mutual relationship through a social exchange that produces a competitive advantage.

A qualitative study involving 30 in-depth interviews with Australian and Asian millennials residing in Australia was conducted using a grounded theory approach to explore privacy concerns of online banking and determine the efficacy of their banks' existing sales strategy and practice.

The study revealed differences in customer perceptions of trust, confidence, responsibility and exchange. Adopting a power-dependency paradigm within a social exchange theoretical framework and power distance belief of national culture theory, the authors identified four consumer segments: exemplar, empiric, elevator and exponent. The authors propose a tailored consumer-centered sales strategy of communication, control, consolidation and collaboration.

The paper contributes to the research in services marketing, sales strategy and banking in three ways: first, the authors demonstrate the importance of the social exchange theory and national culture as a premise to develop a competitive advantage; second, the authors propose an innovative set of consumer segments in regards to online privacy concerns; and, third, the authors introduce four sales strategies tailored to each of the four segments.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a model for online transactions, integrating the social influence approach, the trust‐risk framework, and the theory of reasoned action, and to test it in a non US/UK context such as Greece.

Structural equation modeling was used to survey data from 376 household respondents from two residential departments of the city of Thessaloniki in Greece in order to examine causal inferences.

The results of the model, where the trust‐risk‐subjective norms framework mediated the impact of information privacy on actual transactions, indicated that the individual's attitude toward using technology, through the intention to submit individual information, resulted in positive actual transaction outcomes.

Cross‐section data were used for testing the model. However, for properly investigating causality time‐series or longitudinal data should be employed.

For increasing online transactions, organizations should make their websites as simple and attractive as possible, develop their image that they do care about customers and are trustworthy, and develop privacy‐friendly policies for gaining competitive advantage.

This study proposes and empirically validates an integrative framework for online transactions at the individual level by adapting information privacy concerns and trust‐risk‐subjective norm beliefs and relates them to attitudes of individuals. Thus, the proposed integrative framework is critically engaging and well established but with limited information models.

Privacy and security concerns of consumers have been touted as one of the hindrances to the growth of e-commerce. These concerns increase the risk perception of consumers. Understanding the consequences of privacy and security concerns and their relationship to risk perceptions may provide a solution. The relationship between privacy and security is investigated using the theory of planned behavior. The study aims to examine the relationship of trust, privacy and security concerns to the risk perception adoption of e-commerce. The results from a survey validate the model.

Data were collected using survey from undergraduate business students. The respondents were requested to select a specific product that they plan to purchase in the next six months. After selecting a product, the respondents were requested to report an online company that they have recently visited which offers the selected product. The respondents were requested to fill out the survey with regard to their selected online company. Time given was approximately 20 min.

The results suggest that privacy and security concerns and trust beliefs had effects on risk perception. Among these effects, trust had the largest effect followed by privacy and security concerns. Furthermore, risk perception and trust beliefs had effects on attitude. The effect of trust beliefs on attitude was larger than the effect of risk perception on attitude. Similarly, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control and attitude had a positive and direct effect on intention to be involved in e-commerce.

The first limitation of this study is the use of student subjects. Because this study took place in an educational setting, its generalizability to the general population of consumers lacks to some degree. The second limitation of this study is mono-method bias.

The effect of privacy concerns on risk perception was larger than that of security concerns. Because the consumers get more experienced and sophisticated using the Web, the security concerns that they may have had at the beginning are not reflected in their risk perceptions. It is likely that they have adopted protective measures on their own to defend their privacy online. An example of such a measure would be providing false information to online companies when asked to submit personal information.

The major contributions of this study are developing and validating an integrative framework of e-commerce adoption at the individual level. The model includes privacy and security concerns, risk perception and trust beliefs. This study also highlighted the distinction of constructs of privacy and security concerns and showed their differential effects on other related constructs in the research model.

The study aims to empirically understand individuals' tendency to disclose private information online following different forms of data breach (i.e. reversible and irreversible victimization).

Survey methodology is applied to measure the perception of victims of data breaches on key indicators of information disclosure.

Analysis of responses from 309 victims of data breaches show that while victims' irreversible data breach victimization experience influences both dimensions of privacy concerns, reversible data breach victimization experiences influenced only peer privacy concerns (PPCs). Furthermore, only institutional privacy concerns impacted online disclosure and fully mediate the relationship between victimization experience and online disclosure.

The findings contribute to the privacy literature by expanding the dimension of victimization and considering their differential effect on privacy concerns. Additionally, the study uncovers the efficacy of privacy dimension on privacy recalibration following a data breach announcement.

For practice, the results provide insights for managers on how to manage customer restitution after a data breach. Management of the process of privacy recalibration should not be homogenous but be based on degree of consequence.

This research provides deeper understanding of how the ascendancy of privacy breaches affect privacy management. The findings illuminate why the increasing trend in online activities is observed.

The study is the first to identify two dimensions of data breach victimization experience based on the breach level index (BLI). The two dimensions of victimization (i.e. reversible and irreversible privacy victimizations) were used to understand individuals' tendency to disclose private information online.