Initial Online Trust Building: A Social Learning Theory Perspective

Authors

Liwei Liu, School of Management, Xiamen University, China
Yunjie Xu, School of Management, Fudan University, ChinaFollow
Shun Cai, School of Management, Xiamen University, China
Hee-Woong Kim, Graduate School of Information, Yonsei University, Korea
Vitharana Padmal, School of Management, Syracuse University, United States

Abstract

With the rapid expansion of e-commerce, trust has become a central research topic in online environment for its key role in affecting e-commerce success. Our study focuses on the initial online trust building for brick-and-click companies. Building upon social learning theory, we propose a framework to examine the learning processes and important antecedents to online trust building. To demonstrate the utility of the framework, we apply it to the initial online trust building for brick-and-click firms. Our results suggest that the social learning theory is a viable tool to understand customer’s trust building process. Based on the effective learning processes identified for trust building, firms can allocate their resource accordingly.

Recommended Citation

Liu, Liwei; Xu, Yunjie; Cai, Shun; Kim, Hee-Woong; and Padmal, Vitharana, "Initial Online Trust Building: A Social Learning Theory Perspective" (2012). WHICEB 2012 PROCEEDINGS. 44.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/whiceb2011/44