Engendering trust in e‐commerce: a study of gender‐based concerns

An essential element of successful e‐commerce is building relationships with consumers. All relationships are based upon trust and in the online B2C environment the absence of physical cues increases the reliance upon other elements to convey integrity and engender trust. Isolates and examines three components identified in earlier studies as areas of consumer concern. Within these parameters a number of consumer characteristics potentially might affect trust levels; this initial exploratory study examines whether consumer trust appears to vary by gender, and it is the authors’ intention to investigate other characteristics in future studies. Seeks to evaluate whether consumer trust is increasing or declining and whether one or other gender might potentially be more responsive to e‐marketing activities. Earlier studies suggest discernable differences between male and female perceptions of online shopping; however, the present study detects only minor (insignificant) gender‐based variations, registering a high level of concern overall, regardless of gender.