A Conceptual Framework for Unsolicited Commercial E-mail: Perceived Intrusiveness and Privacy Concerns

Abstract

While e-mail remains a popular advertising medium for marketers, consumers' privacy concerns about the medium have become a serious issue. In this study, an online survey examined how two aspects of privacy—perceived intrusiveness and psychological reactance—influenced consumers' attitudes toward unsolicited commercial e-mail and marketing in general. The results indicate that the more intrusive an individual perceives an e-mail, the stronger their reactance will be against it, the more they will avoid it, and the more negative their attitudes toward it. Implications for marketers and academics, as well as suggestions for industry regulations, are also addressed.