Trust and TAM in Online shopping (Gefen et al, 2003. MISQ)

Antecedents of Trust
 
1.  Drawing from several theoretical streams, research on trust has identified a number of trust antecedents: knowledge-based trust, institution- based trust (specifically, structural assurance beliefs and situational normality beliefs), calcu- lative-based trust, cognition-based trust (specifi- cally, categorization processes and illusion of control processes), and personality-based trust (specifically, faith in humanity and a trusting stance).

2. The other two trust antece- dents, personality-based and cognition-based, are more relevant for initial trust formation (McKnight et al. 1998) and will thus be excluded from the current study, which focuses on consumers who had prior experience with a particular e-vendor.

3. Personality-based trust or propensity to trust refers to the tendency to believe or not to believe in others and so trust them. These beliefs are a trust credit that is given to others before experience can provide a more rational interpretation. Such a disposition is especially important in the initial stages of a relationship

4. Cognition-based trust research offers a different set of antecedents of trust. This view examines how trust is built on first impressions rather than through experiential personal interactions. According to this research tradition, cognition-based trust is formed via categorization and illusions of control. Categorization processes (McKnight et al. 1998) suggest that individuals place more trust in people similar to themselves and assess trust- worthiness based on second-hand information and on stereotypes

Knowledge-Based Trust Antecedents

5. Familiarity is experience with the what, who, how, and when of what is happening. While trust reduces social complexity relating to future activities of the other party, familiarity reduces social uncertainty through increased understanding of what is happening in the present (Luhmann 1979). Familiarity with the way other business partners work and their limitations is also an important antece- dent of trust in ongoing business interactions (Kumar 1996; Kumar et al. 1995b).

6. Knowledge-based trust antecedents such as familiarity with the e-vendor suggest that trust develops over time with the accumulation of trust- relevant knowledge resulting from experience with the other part.

Calculative-Based Trust Antecedents

7. Based on economic principles, a second type of trust-building mechanism involves a calculative process (Hosmer 1995). According to the calculative-based trust paradigm, trust can be shaped by rational assessments of the costs and benefits of another party cheating or cooperating in the relationship.

8. calculative trust is deterrence-based in that individuals will not engage in opportunistic behavior out of fear of facing the adverse consequences of being untrustworthy.

Institution-Based Trust Antecedents

9. This refers to one's sense of security from guarantees, safety nets, or other impersonal structures inherent in a specific context

10. Situational normality is an assessment that the transaction will be a success, based on how normal or customary the situation appears to be.

11. Structural assurances or structural safeguards refer to an assessment of success due to safety nets such as legal recourse, guarantees, and regulations that exist in a specific context.