How Hypertext Links Influence Consumer Perceptions to Build and Degrade Trust Online.

Author List: Stewart, Katherine J.;
Journal of Management Information Systems, 2006, Volume 23, Issue 1, Page 183-210.
This paper suggests and empirically supports the propositions that a link between two organizations' Web sites will have simultaneous effects on trust in both the link sender and the link recipient, and that these effects result from interactions among the reputation of the link recipient, trust in the link sender, and the perceived relationship of the linked organizations. The study finds that the perceived relationship caused by a link leads to positive effects for the less reputable of the linked organizations, but negative effects for the more reputable organization. These effects are exaggerated or attenuated depending on the reputation of the organization that sends the link. The effect of presenting the link as an advertisement or a link to a partner was also examined, but no effect was uncovered, raising the question of how organizations may effectively differentiate links on their Web sites.
Keywords: entitativity; Hypertext links; reputation; trust; trust transfer
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#291 0.320 local global link complex view links particularly need thought number supports efforts difficult previously linked achieving simple poor individual rise
#173 0.192 effect impact affect results positive effects direct findings influence important positively model data suggest test factors negative affects significant relationship
#154 0.104 memory support organizations information organizational requirements different complex require development provides resources organization paper transactive depth process outside difficult breadth
#33 0.090 web site sites content usability page status pages metrics browsing design use web-based guidelines results implications portal loyalty navigability addition
#172 0.090 trust trusting study online perceived beliefs e-commerce intention trustworthiness relationships benevolence initial importance trust-building examines discussed building future context transactions
#202 0.089 online uncertainty reputation sellers buyers seller marketplaces markets marketplace buyer price signaling auctions market premiums ebay transaction reverse literature comments
#258 0.073 information proximity message seeking perceived distance communication overload context geographic dispersed higher geographically task contexts recipient face-to-face temporal safe dyadic