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Manifestations of interpersonal trust in online interaction

A cross-cultural study comparing the differential utilization of seller ratings by eBay participants in Canada, France, and Germany

Suny, Buffalo, New Yorkavishy{at}buffalo.edu

As the internet continues to expand globally, the understanding of the micro-level connections between culture and online interaction is vital from a scientific perspective. This article explores the effects of societal values of interpersonal trust on online interactions. Using data from the World Values Survey and Inglehart’s (1997) scores on interpersonal trust, the study compares the effect of seller feedback ratings on online auction participation in three economically similar but culturally distinct countries, Canada, France, and Germany. The results indicate a significant interaction between culture, interpersonal trust levels, and seller ratings on bidder participants. Cultures that exhibit high levels of interpersonal trust tend to participate in online auctions irrespective of the sellers’ feedback ratings. However, in low trust cultures, seller ratings have a significant effect on bidders. The extent of the effect seems to depend on the degree of trust and the variation in seller ratings.

Key Words: culturally-mediated communication • eBay • interpersonal trust • Inglehart • online auctions • online behavior • World Values Survey

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