초록 열기/닫기 버튼
Online marketplace represents the triad relationship among the buyer(as a trustor), the intermediary, and the seller community. Trust transfer theory has special utility in explaining complex interrelationships among them. Our study aims to extend current understanding of trust transference by proposing a bi-directional trust transfer model between a trustor’s trust in the known trustee(i.e., intermediary) and his/her trust in the unknown trustee(i.e., seller community). The model is established through the clarification of our positions with regards to three aspects: the source and target of trust transfer; interchangeability between trust and trustworthiness; and conceptual domains(e.g., attitude and belief) of constructs implicated in the transfer process. Empirical analysis based on 747 data points fully supported our theoretical position of trust reciprocity between trustee entities, significantly extending extant research that primarily viewed trust transference through the lens of unidirectional flow from a known to an unknown entity. Based on the empirical findings, we discuss theoretical and practical implications of our study.
