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The contingent effects of is certifications on the trustworthiness of websites

Adam, Martin; Lins, Sebastian 1; Sunyaev, Ali 1; Benlian, Alexander
1 Institut für Angewandte Informatik und Formale Beschreibungsverfahren (AIFB), Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)

Abstract:

Information systems (IS) research has largely treated IS certifications (i.e., graphical cues that prove the endorsement of independent third parties) as universally effective at improving website visitors’ perceptions of trustworthiness. However, inconclusive findings on the effectiveness of IS certifications on websites have emerged, critically challenging their usefulness. We intend to reconcile these inconclusive findings by drawing on swift trust theory and the notion of humans as cognitive misers. Specifically, we investigate whether the effects of IS certifications are contingent on visitors’ expectations and the website’s baseline trustworthiness (i.e., the original website before adding and visitors’ processing of IS certifications). Through a multi-study investigation combining an online (N = 191) and a follow-up field experiment with up to €4 million in sales volume (N = 306), we reveal the contingent effects of IS certifications on the trustworthiness of websites: Below—but not above—a certain level of a website’s baseline trustworthiness (i.e., the trust tipping point), IS certifications significantly increase trustworthiness. ... mehr


Originalveröffentlichung
DOI: 10.17705/1jais.00836
Zugehörige Institution(en) am KIT Institut für Angewandte Informatik und Formale Beschreibungsverfahren (AIFB)
Publikationstyp Zeitschriftenaufsatz
Publikationsdatum 07.08.2023
Sprache Englisch
Identifikator ISSN: 1536-9323, 1558-3457
KITopen-ID: 1000166068
Erschienen in Journal of the Association for Information Systems
Verlag Association for Information Systems (AIS)
Heft 108
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