Consumer Trust towards an Online Vendor in High- vs. Low-Context Cultures

This study explores the effect of general disposition to trust on the perceived trustworthiness of an online vendor in high- and low-context cultures. A total sample of 616 responses from users of online bookstores was collected from China and Finland. The results show that the disposition to trust has a highly significant effect on the three dimensions of trustworthiness namely ability, integrity, and benevolence. However, the results of multigroup analysis indicate that these effects vary greatly between our country examples from high-and low-context cultures. We conclude that, while in China general disposition to trust has a highly significant effect on perceived trustworthiness of an online vendor, the effect is only marginal in Finland.