The impact of trust and changes in trust: A national comparison of individual adoptions of information and communication technologies and related phenomenon

Trust has been shown to play an important role in the adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) on an individual and firm level, but has received relatively little attention on a national level. In this paper we examine the impact of generalized trust, as measured by the World Value Survey, on the adoption of ICT products and related phenomena (e.g., such issues as Telecommuting and services such as E-Government Readiness), at a national level, while controlling for a nationʹs wealth. Because national trust levels having changed over time, we also examine how the rate of change in trust has impacted the adoption of ICT and ICT related phenomenon. Our findings provide strong empirical support for the argument that trust impacts national level adoption. The results are robust as we consider multiple variables and data sources. We also show that changes in trust rates are generally associated with corresponding changes in ICT adoptions.