Social Networks and Trust in e-Commerce

Author(s):  
G. Scott Erickson ◽  
Kurt Komaromi ◽  
Fahri Unsal

Online retailing has always had trust issues because of the absence of face-to-face contact and other contextual factors that usually enhance confidence in an exchange. Over the years, institutional credibility solutions such as external certifications, user reviews, and brand building activities have helped to build trust in virtual environments, resulting in the recent rapid growth of e-tailing. With the advent of Web 2.0, and especially social networking sites, firms are looking at new avenues to connect with consumers. This paper compares trust levels and more specific aspects of trust across various items related to institutional credibility and community. The data suggest that users perceive differences in websites and that these perceptions influence their trust in those sites.

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 215824402110322
Author(s):  
Ricarda Moll ◽  
Anna Jori Lücke ◽  
Rainer Bromme

In an increasingly interconnected world, many people handle large parts of their communication online, often via social networking sites (SNS). In contrast to face-to-face communication, messages on SNS are accessible by potentially unknown and large audiences. However, it is an open question what users actually perceive as a large audience, or else as many people in SNS contexts. Exploring this question from a psycholinguistic perspective, we investigated the meaning of vague quantifiers such as “few” or “many” with regard to audiences in different contexts in two experiments. In Experiment 1, participants assigned numbers to quantifiers describing audiences in online versus offline and private versus public contexts. In Experiment 2, including the same items as Experiment 1, participants rated the appropriateness of specific numbers of people that were described by a quantifier. Our results show, for example, that people assigned larger numbers to quantifiers for online than for offline contexts. This was also true when access to the information was supposed to be restricted which implies a (scalar) change of privacy expectations.


Author(s):  
Anastasiia Zerkal ◽  
◽  
Viktoriia Holomb ◽  

The article considers the peculiarities of the formation of marketing communication strategies of the enterprise in terms of digitalization of the economy. The main directions of mass media in the twentieth century are determined and the delimitation of modern social media is presented. The conditions of compliance of the website have been determined so that it can be considered as a part of web 2.0: the ability to independently contribute to the content of the site; User control of your own information and website design -interactive and useful. The influence of digital and mobile technologies on the peculiarities of users' communication, as well as their attitude to the interactivity of social networks is proved. The potential of social networks to support their brands, increase the customer base and promote goods and services of enterprises has been identified. It is determined that due to its popularity, social networking sites have had a significant impact on ways of social communication and as a result have changed the sales channels of enterprises. It is estimated that the number of people using social networks is growing very fast, and at the time of writing, more than 2.62 billion people are using social networking sites. The largest social networks were analyzed: Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram. Their features and advantages for both users and professional marketers of enterprises are determined. It is estimated that in 2021, 71% of the total number of Internet users were users of social networks, and this percentage is projected to increase. The most popular activity among Internet users is social networking, and it has a high level of user engagement, which has a positive impact on the sales of businesses that work with digital marketing tools. The ease and low cost of Internet marketing compared to conventional advertising has proven that businesses in all sectors of the economy can more effectively reach their target audience, and social networks help influence other potential customers, and allow businesses to get useful feedback on their product or service. Ultimately, this leads to improved products / services and customer engagement, ie improves the company's marketing communication strategies in today's digital economy.


2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen M. Mutula

Background: With the growing adoption and acceptance of social networking, there are increased concerns about the violation of the users’ legitimate rights such as privacy, confidentiality, trust, security, safety, content ownership, content accuracy, integrity, access and accessibility to computer and digital networks amongst others.Objectives: The study sought to investigate the following research objectives to: (1) describe the types of social networks, (2) examine global penetration of the social networks, (3) outline the users’ legitimate rights that must be protected in the social networking sites (SNS), (4) determine the methods employed by SNS to protect the users’ legitimate rights and (5) identify the policy gaps and technological deficiencies in the protection of the users’ legitimate rights in the SNS.Method: A literature survey and content analysis of the SNS user policies were used to address objective four and objective five respectively.Results: The most actively used sites were Facebook and Twitter. Asian markets were leading in participation and in creating content than any other region. Business, education, politics and governance sectors were actively using social networking sites. Social networking sites relied upon user trust and internet security features which however, were inefficient and inadequate.Conclusion: Whilst SNS were impacting people of varying ages and of various professional persuasions, there were increased concerns about the violation and infringement of the users’ legitimate rights. Reliance on user trust and technological security features SNS to protect the users’ legitimate rights seemed ineffectual and inadequate.


2014 ◽  
pp. 1717-1730
Author(s):  
Joanne Kuzma

The growth of Online Social Networking sites has brought new services and communication methods to consumers. However, along with benefits, serious problems such as online cyber harassment have recently come to the forefront of the electronic media. This behavior can have significant negative effect on individuals, businesses and the social networks. Some sites have begun to provide some levels of protection and create specific anti-harassment policies in their terms of service along with implementing protection technologies. However, these protective measures are not consistent among social media, leaving some consumers at greater risk. This study analyzed 60 worldwide social sites and determined the level of cyber-harassment protection. It reviewed statistical differences among geographical-based social networks. The results showed significant gaps among various social networks, but suggests methods for improving consumer safeguards to provide consistent levels of protection.


Author(s):  
Vladlena Benson

Based on the literature review of the theory of trust, this chapter aims to provide an insight into trust formation on social networking sites (SNS). An overview of the current state of cybercrime and known ways of threat mitigation helps shed some light on the reasons why social networks became easy targets for Internet criminals. Increasingly, personalisation is seen as a method for counteracting attacks perpetrated via phishing messages. This chapter aims to look specifically at trust in online social networks and how it influences vulnerability of users towards cybercrime. The chapter poses a question whether personalisation is the silver bullet to combat cyber threats on social networks. Further research directions are discussed.


2011 ◽  
pp. 491-507
Author(s):  
Avimanyu Datta ◽  
Len Jessup

The authors present a parsimonious theoretical model that illustrates how Internet-based virtual environments (such as social networking Web sites) moderate the relationship between social networks and social entrepreneurship. Social networks promote social entrepreneurship by means of (a) technology and knowledge transfer; (b) locating information; (c) generating entrepreneurial opportunities; (d) building entrepreneurial competency; (e) financing innovation; and (f) building effective networks for commercialization of innovations. Internet based virtual environments increase the velocity with which online social networks are formed and operationalized. They, thus, have a moderating effect in the relationship between social networks and social entrepreneurship. The authors also represent three concepts that are core to social networks: density, centrality, and heterogeneity. They posit that all three explain variance in social entrepreneurship and that Internet-based virtual environments moderate each of the relationships these three elements of social networks have with social entrepreneurship.


Author(s):  
Mehmet Ferhat Sönmez

Identity emerges as a flexible, multidimensional, variable, and slippery concept that cannot be defined through the processes of discussion and understanding. The new construction area of this concept, which is regarded as a process constructed on the social plane, is the social networking platforms. This is because these platforms are the most common communication environments where people and their lifestyles are presented to the outside world, in addition to the cheap and rapid satisfaction of their needs for information and entertainment. Face-to-face communication and language practices are not sufficient enough in the identity presentation anymore. Individuals choose to design and update their identities through social networks and to perform an image-based identity manifestation. This chapter examines how identity was established and manifested through social networks, and analyzes the identities the popular people in these networks designed and exhibited.


Author(s):  
Ariane J. Utomo

Across developing countries, the role of social networks and social capital in facilitating women's access to income is well documented. However, less is known about how networks facilitated by social networking sites (SNS) may transform women's economic opportunities in these regions. In this chapter, I draw upon a relatively recent phenomenon of the use of SNS as a medium of trade in urban Indonesia. In 2010, I conducted preliminary interviews to examine the dynamics of Facebook-facilitated trade among urban middle-class married women residing in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. The interviews highlighted beneficial links between social media, social capital, and productivity – by means of increased personal income. However, this effective link between SNS and income-generating social capital is likely to be a rather distinctive example, as it depends largely on the class, gender, and cultural specificities that shape the nature of online and offline social interactions among my target group.


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