Abstract

This paper proposes a model of the mediating role of initial trust on the relationship between website quality and customers’ purchase intention in the context of business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce. The model predicts that website quality (measured as functionality and appearance) affects initial trust (measured as competence trust and goodwill trust) which subsequently affects purchase intention. An empirical test was conducted to examine the model. The functionality construct failed to meet the validity test and, as a result, was dropped from the empirical model. The remaining constructs showed acceptable levels of validity and reliability. The structural model revealed that goodwill trust had a negative effect on purchase intention, and thus an alternative model is proposed in which competence trust is a mediating variable between website quality and purchase intention. The alternative model fits the data better than the original model, and the implications are discussed.

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