The social function of trust and implications for e-commerce

This paper draws on sociological theories of trust to examine the role of trust within modern society. Having conceptualised the main function of trust within modernity as one of reducing complexity and the management of risk, the paper applies this understanding to the role of trust within marketing, particularly in relation to e-commerce. Empirical support is given to the conceptual analysis by the presentation of findings from a longitudinal panel study of people's attitudes towards new technology and the place of new technology in their lives—futura.com. The paper points to the vital role of abstract or systems trust within modernity, and raises questions concerning the particular difficulties that e-commerce faces in establishing trust in the internet as a system.