|
|
|
|
Individual-Level Economic Behavior,
Risk and Social Trust: I Shop Online, Therefore I Trust? |
|
| Abstract | Word Stems | Keywords | Association | Citation | Get this Document | Similar Titles |
|
|
Abstract:
|
The buying and selling of goods has
long been a social context in which trust is essential. As Arrow (1972)
notes, “Virtually every commercial transaction has within itself an
element of trust, certainly any transaction conducted over a period of
time.” And yet to date the literature on cultivating trust in customers
and the social psychological literature on trust as it relates to
political and social capital have seldom crossed paths. In this study I
bridge that gap by discussing the implications of supra-local commerce
via internet purchases for generalized social trust.
The widely accepted argument about why political systems benefit from
social trust is fundamentally an economic one: Economies will perform
more efficiently when individuals and entrepreneurs do not have to
expend time and resources protecting themselves from one another.
According to this line of thought, high levels of trust are valued in
citizens because trust leads to more efficient economic behavior, and
thus a higher standard of living. Given that most data substantiating
links between economic performance and trust have been at the aggregate
level, and most research designs in this area have been observational,
evidence confirming the proposed direction and mechanism for this
causal relationship has been in short supply. In this study drawing on
experimental and survey data, I argue that there is another, largely
unexplored, explanation for why social trust and strong economic
performance tend to go together. The supra-local economic transactions
that characterize well developed economies are not just the consequence
of trusting populations; they also serve to create higher levels of
social trust. If consumers perceive relatively high levels of risk when
engaging in transactions with impersonal others, yet those interactions
are typically successful, then generalized social trust is increased as
a result. In this study I examine the relationships between social
trust, perceived risk and consumer behavior. To what extent do
successful commercial transactions encourage greater trust in people
that one does not know personally? Conversely, to what extent does
one’s generalized trust in people influence purchasing behavior? Do
successful internet transactions have a greater influence on
perceptions of the trustworthiness of others than similar transactions
with brick and mortar stores or companies? The results of these studies
have implications for a revised theory of the relationships between
generalized social trust, alienation, and supra-local economic
transactions. |
|
 | Convention | | Submission, Review, and Scheduling! All Academic Convention can help with all of your abstract management needs and many more. Contact us today for a quote! |  | Submission - Custom fields, multiple submission types, tracks, audio visual, multiple upload formats, automatic conversion to pdf. |  | Review - Peer Review, Bulk reviewer assignment, bulk emails, ranking, z-score statistics, and multiple worksheets! |  | Reports - Many standard and custom reports generated while you wait. Print programs with participant indexes, event grids, and more! |  | Scheduling - Flexible and convenient grid scheduling within rooms and buildings. Conflict checking and advanced filtering. |  | Communication - Bulk email tools to help your administrators send reminders and responses. Use form letters, a message center, and much more! |  | Management - Search tools, duplicate people management, editing tools, submission transfers, many tools to manage a variety of conference management headaches! | | Click here for more information. |
|
|
Association:
Name: The Midwest Political Science Association
URL: http://www.indiana.edu/~mpsa/
|
Citation:
|
MLA Citation:
| Mutz, Diana. "Individual-Level Economic Behavior,
Risk and Social Trust: I Shop Online, Therefore I Trust?" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the The Midwest Political Science Association, Palmer House Hilton, Chicago, Illinois, Apr 15, 2004 <Not Available>. 2009-05-26 <http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p82353_index.html> |
APA Citation:
| Mutz, D. C. , 2004-04-15 "Individual-Level Economic Behavior,
Risk and Social Trust: I Shop Online, Therefore I Trust?" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the The Midwest Political Science Association, Palmer House Hilton, Chicago, Illinois <Not Available>. 2009-05-26 from http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p82353_index.html |
Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: The buying and selling of goods has
long been a social context in which trust is essential. As Arrow (1972)
notes, “Virtually every commercial transaction has within itself an
element of trust, certainly any transaction conducted over a period of
time.” And yet to date the literature on cultivating trust in customers
and the social psychological literature on trust as it relates to
political and social capital have seldom crossed paths. In this study I
bridge that gap by discussing the implications of supra-local commerce
via internet purchases for generalized social trust.
The widely accepted argument about why political systems benefit from
social trust is fundamentally an economic one: Economies will perform
more efficiently when individuals and entrepreneurs do not have to
expend time and resources protecting themselves from one another.
According to this line of thought, high levels of trust are valued in
citizens because trust leads to more efficient economic behavior, and
thus a higher standard of living. Given that most data substantiating
links between economic performance and trust have been at the aggregate
level, and most research designs in this area have been observational,
evidence confirming the proposed direction and mechanism for this
causal relationship has been in short supply. In this study drawing on
experimental and survey data, I argue that there is another, largely
unexplored, explanation for why social trust and strong economic
performance tend to go together. The supra-local economic transactions
that characterize well developed economies are not just the consequence
of trusting populations; they also serve to create higher levels of
social trust. If consumers perceive relatively high levels of risk when
engaging in transactions with impersonal others, yet those interactions
are typically successful, then generalized social trust is increased as
a result. In this study I examine the relationships between social
trust, perceived risk and consumer behavior. To what extent do
successful commercial transactions encourage greater trust in people
that one does not know personally? Conversely, to what extent does
one’s generalized trust in people influence purchasing behavior? Do
successful internet transactions have a greater influence on
perceptions of the trustworthiness of others than similar transactions
with brick and mortar stores or companies? The results of these studies
have implications for a revised theory of the relationships between
generalized social trust, alienation, and supra-local economic
transactions. |
Get this Document:
Find this citation or document at one or all of these locations below. The links below may have the citation or the entire document for free or you may purchase access to the document. Clicking on these links will change the site you're on and empty your shopping cart.
Similar Titles:
Unstructured Socializing, Collective Efficacy and Individual’s Violent Behavior: Integrating Individual and Structural Level Explanations of Crime.
HOW INTERPERSONAL TRUST MANIFESTS ONLINE BEHAVIOR: A case study exploring the impact of societal levels of interpersonal trust on the utilization of online source credible information.
Does E-Trust Matter? A Social Cognitive Theory of Online Shopping Behavior
|
|
