Exploring the Moderating Effect of Information Inconsistency in a Trust-Based Online Shopping Model

Online shopping is associated with various uncertain issues. In this sense, researchers have found that trust plays an important role in affecting consumers´ purchase behavior. As advances of Internet technology, many consumers tend to read online messages about others´ shopping experiences before making purchasing decisions. Thus, informational social influence affects in the decision-making process as well. However, few studies have provided in-depth examination of both impacts from trust and informational social influence in online context. In this study, we explore the moderating effect of informational social influence in a trust-based online shopping model. We conduct a laboratory experiment to verify this model, and find that emotional trust mediates relationships between three trusting beliefs (competence, benevolence, and integrity) and purchase intention. Further, information inconsistency, a particular form of informational social influence, is found to strengthen the relationship between emotional trust and purchase intention. Implications for research and practice are discussed.