The Study of Taiwanese Online Sellers' Ethics and Online Buyers' Trust in Electronic Commerce

Abstract

Due to Internet's rapid development, electronic commerce becomes a new way for businesses to market products online. Many people like shopping online because of the convenience. However, when consumers shop online, some concerns emerge, such as worries of how personal data will be used, how secure the online site is, and whether or not the Website should be trusted. This paper studies Taiwanese online sellers' ethics and online buyers' trust in electronic commerce. Trust in Internet shopping was measured on the five-point Likert rating scale. 230 questionnaires were delivered to seven companies and two schools in Taiwan, in which 217 effective questionnaires were returned (94.34% response rate). SPSS statistical software was used. The results reveal that perceived online security, perceived online privacy, Internet experience, and third-party assurance seal are positively associated with online consumer trust, and perceived risk is negatively associated with online consumer trust. In addition, there is no difference between male and female online shoppers on the issue of online consumer trust, nor is there a difference between single and married online consumers issue.