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From Kalverstraat to online shopping destination : A research study on the determinants and consequences of trust in the context of affiliate platforms.

Monnink, N. de (2017) From Kalverstraat to online shopping destination : A research study on the determinants and consequences of trust in the context of affiliate platforms.

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Abstract:Despite affiliate marketing being called one of “the most promising long-term marketing strategies for e-commerce” (Duffy, 2005, p. 161), little is known about the antecedents and behavioural outcomes of trust in such an environment. This study, incorporating survey data from 1154 women familiar with the Fashionchick.nl platform, examines whether the proven relationships in trust literature likewise hold in the context of affiliate platforms, and across age groups. First, a small-scale qualitative preliminary study was conducted to identify the antecedents of online trust relevant in an affiliate environment, whereas the data collection for the main research was performed by means of an online questionnaire. Analyses were run for two age groups (18-34 and 35+) and the results indicate that the antecedents of online trust and consumer loyalty (intentions to return and recommend) do not differ based on the website users’ age, except for system quality. A positive and significant relation was found between system quality and online trust for individuals aged 18-34 alone. Moreover, from the analyses it is found that reputation, website familiarity, and information quality all had a direct and positive effect on online trust. Positive relations were also expected and found between online trust, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and the intentions to return and recommend. Additionally, it was likewise found that social influence influences an individual’s intention to recommend a website to others. Other than expected, social presence did not have a significant positive effect on online trust, and no significant positive effect was found between social influence and return intention either. Moreover, although not hypothesized, it was found that trust does not only directly influence behavioural intentions, but also serves as a partial mediator in the relationship between the predictors of trust and the intentions to return and recommend. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:05 communication studies
Programme:Communication Studies MSc (60713)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/71626
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