Online shopping: Consumer itrust and influencing factors at the individual level

Building consumer trust is important to business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce firms seeking to extend their reach to consumers globally. Based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model, this study examines the moderating role of individual consumer culture on the relationship between web design (website accessibility, visual appearance (colour and images) and social networking services), consumer behaviour (religiosity), privacy, security, emotions (fear and joy) and interpersonal trust (iTrust), cognitive and affect-based trust concerning online purchasing intentions. The motivation of this study includes testing and comparing individual consumer cultural values (individualism and uncertainty avoidance) difference moderators in proposed multiperspective model of online interpersonal trust (iTrust). In order to empirically test the research model, survey was conducted in Australia. The results of the analysis shows that depending on the stimulus (S) towards which a reaction is made provides a signal regarding the cognitive and affect-based trust (Organism) of B2C e-commerce website, which influence consumers purchase intentions (Response) at the individual level. The results of this study highlight the need to consider individual consumer level cultural differences when identifying the mix of e-commerce strategies to employ in B2C websites, not only at the country level but also in culturally diverse country such as Australia.