Li, Rong. Kim, JaeJon, Park, JaeSung 276
Moreover, when problems arise, sellers will probably attribute them to technical problems or systems problems. All these increase the uncertainty and may result in
adverse consequences for those engaged in transaction activities. When perceived risk is present and it is increasing, consumers’ trust will suffer.
Ratnasinghams 1998 argues that if e-commerce is to become the dominant business platform of the next millennium, systems should be integrated and the
transaction process should be standardized to ensure that any business transaction is operated in a secure way. By addressing every aspect of a consumer’s concern, the
consumer can place complete reliance on the confidentiality, security, integrity, and availability of information processed and stored.
H : Perceived risk will reduce consumer trust.
3.1.4 Perceived Ease of Use and Trust PEOU
PEOU is one of the major constructs of the technology acceptance model TAM. Improving PEOU is an issue that has received attention of researchers for over
a decade. Many researchers cited in this paper have agreed that TAM can be used to study the purchasing intention by treating an Internet shopping mall as a technical
system and the consumers as technology users. When consumers believe that a Web site is easy to use and thus have perceived ease of use, they are more likely to go shopping
to that Web site Koufaris, 2002.
A considerable amount of restrictions that used to exist in traditional transactions have disappeared in virtual space. Thus, Internet shopping becomes a new
powerful kind of transaction Kim Park, 2002. The easier executing this kind of transaction is made for consumers, the more transactions will be likely to occur Gefen
et al., 2003. In the meantime, Venkatesh Viswanath 2000 suggest that individuals attempt to minimize effort in their behaviors, which supports a relationship between
consumer’s PEOU and their usage behavior. PEOU in Internet shopping malls is defined as a catalyst for the revitalization of e-transaction Han Noh, 1998. Ko
Mok 1999 also suggest that the PEOU is a key factor of consumer satisfaction.
H : Perceived ease of use will positively affect consumer trust.
3.1.5 Trust and Purchasing Intention
In Jarvenpaa Tractinsky 1999’s research, trust is described as having an indirect influence on purchasing intention. As the researchers suggest, a consumer’s
willingness to buy from an Internet seller is contingent on the consumer’s attitude towards the store. This attitude, in turn, is affected by the seller’s ability to evoke
consumer’s trust. However, most other prior researchers refer to trust as a key factor that directly has a great influence on purchasing intent. Trust helps reduce the social
complexity that a consumer faces in e-commerce by allowing the consumer to subjectively rule out undesirable yet possible behaviors of the e-vendor including
inappropriate use of purchase information. In this way trust encourages business activities of online customers Gefen et al., 2003. According to reasoned action theory,
R. Gest. Tecn. Sist. Inf. RGTSIJISTEM Journal of Information Systems and Technology Management, Brazil
Ratnasinghams 1998 arg g
g ue
ue ue
s s
s th
th that if e-co
o omm
mm m
erce is to become the dominant business platform of the nex
ex ex
t t
t millennium, systems s
s s
ho h
h uld be integrated and the
transaction process shou u
ld ld
ld b
be standardized to ensure that an an
any y
y business transaction is
operated in a secure w w
way. By addre e
e ssing every aspect of a co
o ns
ns ns
umer’s concern, the consumer can pla
a a
c ce
ce complete relian n
n c
c ce o
o n
n n
th th
th e
e e
co co
co nf
f f
id i
i entiality, secur
ur urit
i y, integrity, and
availability of in in
n f
f formation
n n
pro ro
ro ce
ce ce
ss ed
a a
a nd
nd nd
s s
s to
t tore
re re
d. d.
d H : Perceive
e e
d d
d risk wil il
il l redu
u uc
ce ce
c c
c on
o o
sumer trust.
3.1.4 P P
Percei e
e ve
e ed
d d Ea
Ea Ea
se of f
f U
Us Us
e e
and Trust PEO E
U PEOU
OU OU
is on on
ne e of the
e major constru
ru cts of the t
t ec
e hnolog
g y
y y
acce ce
ce pt
pt pt
an an
ance mod
od od
el T
T T
A A
AM. I I
Imp mp
mp r
ro r
ving ng
ng PEOU is an
n issue that h
ha as received a
att ttention of re
e s
se s
arch ch
ch er
er er
s s
s for ov
v ver
e e
a a
a decade de
de . Ma
M M
ny y
y r
esearchers cited ed
in this p pap
per have ag ag
reed that TAM M
M can n
n b
b be
u u
u se
s s
d to o
o s
s study
th th
the e
e purc
c c
ha ha
sing intention b by
y treating g
an Inter ern
net shopping mal al
l l
as a
a a
a tec
c c
hn hn
hn ical
l l
sy y
st em
em m
a a
an n
nd the he
he con
su sume
m rs as techno
nolo logy
g us
ser rs. Whe
hen n consumers be
be li
li eve th
th hat a
W W
Web eb
eb site
is s
s easy to
to to
use e
e and thus
ha have
ve perceiv
ed ed e
e ase
e o of u
u s
se, ,
they are m mor
ore likely to o
go s ho
ho ho
ppin n
ng g
g to
o o
t t
t ha
h h
t Web s si
s te Koufaris,
20 20
02 02.
. A c
co co
nsiderable amount of
o r
r e
estriction ns
s th h
at at used to exist in
n tradit
it it
i i
iona a
a l
tr tr
tr an
an sact
t t
io io
io ns
h h
av av
e e
di di
sa sa
pp pp
ea ea
re re
d d
i i
n n
vi vi
rt rtual space. Thu
h s
s, I
I n
n d
d te
te rn
rn et
et s
s ho
ho pp
pp in
in g
g be
be co
c ome
e e
s s
s a ne
e w
w w
po po
po we
w w
rful k
k k
in in
in d
d of transac
ac c
ti ti
ti on
on on
K K
K im
im im
Park, 2002 2
2. Th
Th The
e ea
ea ea
si si
si er
er e
executing ng
t t
t h
h h
i is kind
d d
of of
of tr
r r
an an
an s
s saction is mad
d e fo
fo f
r consumer s
s, t
t t
he he
he m
m mor
o e tr
r r
an an
ansa sa
sa ct
ct ct
i io
ions w il
il il
l l
l b
b be
l l
l ik
ik ik
el l
y to occur Ge Ge
Ge fe
fe fen
n n
et t
t a a
a l
l. l.
, 2003. In the meantime, Venkatesh
h h
Vi V
V swanath 2000 suggest that indivi
vi vi
du du
du al
al al
s atte
te te
mp mp
mpt t
t to t
t minimize effort in their behavior
o s, which supports a relationship b
b b
et et
et we
we w
e e
en cons
ns ns
um um
um er
er e
’s ’s
’s P P
P EOU and their usage behavior. PEOU in Internet shopp
pp pp
in in
in g
g ma ma
mall ll
ll s
s s is
define ne
ne d
d d
as as
as a
a a
c c
c at
at at
al al
al ys
ys y
t t
fo fo
fo r
r r
th th
th e
e e
re re
re vi
vi vi
ta ta
ta li
li liza
za zati
ti ti
on on
o of e-
e- e-
tr tr
tr an
an an
sa sa
sa ct
c ct
io io
io n
n n
H H
H an
an an
N N
N oh
oh oh,
19 19
19 98
98 98.
. .
K K
K o
o Mok
1 1
199 99
99 9
9 9
also suggest t
th th
th at
at at t
t t
h h
he PEOU U
U is
is is
a a
a k k
key ey
ey f f
factor of f
f c
c con
on onsu
su su
me m
r satisfaction on
on .
. H : Percei
ei eive
ve v d
d d
ea ea
ea se
se se
o o
o f
f f use
e e
wi wi
wi l
ll positivel el
ely y
y af
fe ct con
on onsumer trus
t t
t.
3.1.5 Trust and Purchasing Intention n
In Jarvenpaa Tractinsky 19 9
999’s res s
e e
earch, trust is described as having an indirect influence on purchasing intenti
ti ti
on. As s
s the researchers suggest, a consumer’s willingness to buy from an Internet se
ll ll
l er is
is s contingent on the consumer’s attitude
towards the store. This attitude, in turn, is
s affected by the seller’s ability to evoke
consumer’s trust. However, most other prio o
o r researchers refer to trust as a key factor
The effects of internet shoppers’ trust on their purchasing intention in china 277
Internet shopping activity can be referred to as a kind of intentional activity phenomenon affected strongly by consumer trust as well Jong Lee, 2000. Some
other studies also suggest that there exists a direct and significant relationship between trust and purchasing intention Jang et al., 2005; Yu Choe, 2003; Yoon, 2000.
Based on most of the prior studies that have demonstrated the direct influence of trust on purchasing intention, the following hypothesis is suggested in this study:
H : Higher consumer trust on an Internet shopping mall will generate more purchasing intention in that Internet shopping mall.
3.2 Operationalization of the Research Variables
Operational definitions and measurements of the research variables are provided in Table 1. We developed outcome variables based on relevant literature. The variables
