ایجاد اعتماد و نگرانی های حریم خصوصی در اینترنت : چارچوبی بر اساس بازاریابی رابطه ای و تئوری تبادل اجتماعی

Trust plays a key role in the electronic market that involves high uncertainty and lack of legal protection. Building trust online is proposed as a solution to consumers' privacy concerns. Drawing from relationship marketing and social exchange theory, this study examined several key mechanisms that can help increase customers' trust of e-commerce and decrease privacy concerns. These mechanisms include characteristic-based (e.g., community), transaction process-based (e.g., repeated purchases), and institution-based trust production (e.g., digital certificate).

As suggested by relationship marketing and social exchange theory (SET), trust is the most precious asset any business has, the bedrock on which business is built [2] and [46]. In the new era of the Internet and World Wide Web (WWW), it has been noted that trust is more crucial than ever [19] and [29], may determine the future of the Internet itself [24], and can rule the web as well [48]. Thus, it is pivotal to investigate trust issues on the Internet. According to the Wharton Virtual Market Survey in 1999, the growth rate of online spending per person is declining and there is a significant dropout rate of online shoppers, although the total amount of business conducted on the Internet and WWW is growing [27] and [50]. Most people hesitated to purchase online or even left the electronic market because of a lack of trust [18], [25] and [45] and concerns about privacy [19]. Consumers are simply unwillingly to trust e-business with their personal information. For example, McGraw IIII [29] noted that although some people will use the Internet to read news, look for job opportunities, and compare ticket prices, many still will not buy anything online basically because of a shortage of trust and high privacy concerns. Moreover, Wang et al. [45] reported that the most crucial issue that Internet customers have identified is fear and distrust regarding to loss of personal privacy in the electronic commerce markets. Lohse et al. [27] found that concerns about privacy and lack of trust online were among the most important factors that lead customers to drop out of the online business. In Europe, lack of trust has also been noted to hold back e-commerce [30]. In the context of database marketing such as direct mail and catalog marketing, both academicians [6] and [17] and practitioners [36] and [41] have suggested that relationship marketing [11] and [34] is an alternative perspective to manage customer privacy issues [31]. By analogy, this paper proposes that increasing customers' trust online is a solution to online related privacy concerns and an important way to boost e-commerce. In particular, the purpose of the present study is two-fold: (1) to examine the nature of online privacy concerns and customer trust of electronic business and (2) to investigate, in the context of online privacy concerns, a framework of three trust production mechanisms suggested by Zucker [46]. It should also be noted that in business-to-business (B-to-B) marketing, online trust issues have been identified as a major challenge to companies moving toward e-business [47]. As such, the proposed three trust production mechanisms have ample managerial implications for B-to-B marketers. The following section will review the privacy and trust research in the Internet marketing literature.

Lack of consumer trust and concerns about personal information in the online market have been noted as significant impediments to an even more striking growth of e-commerce. As suggested by relationship marketing and SET, trust becomes more critical than ever in the new era of Internet and web media. It may even rule the web and determine the future of the Internet [13] and [19]. Relationship marketing [11] and [34] has been noted as an alternative perspective to manage consumer privacy issues in the database marketing [31]. By analogy, increasing the customers' trust is a solution to online related privacy issues and an important way to boost e-commerce. This exploratory study examined the nature of customers' trust of e-business and online privacy concerns, and investigated the three trust production mechanisms suggested by Zucker [46]: characteristics-based, process-based, and institutional-based trust. Theoretical development suggests that institutional-based trust is most likely to solve the consumers' online privacy concerns. Characteristic-based trust and process-based trust may relieve personal information anxiety on the Internet, but to a less degree.