An Experimental Examination of Alternative Forms of Web Assurance for Business-to-Consumer e-Commerce

This study reports the results of an experiment that examined alternative forms of web assurance for “B2C” e‐commerce. Specifically, using a repeated measures design, variations in purchase intent were examined across four within‐subjects web site conditions (two MP3 players and two digital cameras from different web sites) and five between‐subjects assurance conditions (undirected or directed retailer disclosures, VISA, TRUSTe, and WebTrust™). The effects of assurance (present vs. absent) on purchase intent were studied relative to the roles of retailer disclosures, information risk (security, disclosure, and product risk), and familiarity (with the retailer and product). Control variables encompassing previous Internet and online purchase experiences, general intent to buy online, and web site design were also incorporated in the study. No differences in intent to purchase were found for the three assurance conditions and they were combined for further data analysis. Results indicate that higher intent ...

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