TRiTAM: A Model for Integrating Trust and Risk Perceptions in Business-to-Consumer Electronic Commerce

Abstract

This paper presents a theoretical extension of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The extended model aims to predict and explain consumers’ intentions to transact with an Internet-based business-to-consumer electronic commerce (B2C EC) system by integrating trust and risk perceptions with TAM. The proposed model (TRiTAM) was validated using data collected from 133 participants. The results provided substantial support for most of the proposed hypotheses and showed the significance of the extended constructs. Besides testing the model, the relative importance of the trust dimensions is also examined. Firstly, a summary of the quantitative results is presented. This is followed by a detailed discussion of the qualitative results. Several new insights on trust in B2C EC were found. The theoretical implications are discussed.