Building Trust with Consensus Information

Abstract

ABSTRACTSellers' reputation, as conveyed by consensus information, influences consumers' trust in the company. Two experiments were used to investigate the effects of consensus information on consumer trust. Consensus trends were manipulated over three reporting periods. The results indicated that trust varies positively with the valence of a firm's reputation and is similarly dependent upon whether the trend decreases or increases over time. Effects of valence and sequence direction were further explored in conditions wherein variation between periods was attenuated. Results showed that valence continued to drive trust. However, effects of sequence direction ceased to be significant when the change in reputation between periods was reduced. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe authors would like to thank the anonymous JIAD reviewers for their helpful comments, and Dr. Ronald Goldsmith and Dr. Michael Brady for their feedback and encouragement during preparation of this paper.Additional informationABOUT THE AUTHORSRay L. Benedicktus is a doctoral student in the Department of Marketing, College of Business, Florida State University. Prior to attending Florida State University, he worked as a small business consultant in North Carolina and earned his MBA at Fayetteville State University. His research interests include multi-channel marketing, branding, and consumer behavior. Email:rlb04d@cob.fsu.eduMelinda L. Andrews is a doctoral student in the Department of Marketing, College of Business, Florida State University. Prior to attending Florida State University, she worked in the direct mail industry and earned her MBA at the University of Southern Mississippi. Her research interests include consumer behavior and branding. Email: mla04c@cob.fsu.edu