The impact of trust on the technology acceptance model in business to consumer e-commerce

Although its expected growth is exciting, online consumer spending has not reached expected levels. Previous research suggests that the profit potential of B2C has been limited by consumers' inability to trust e-retailers. This study examines two forms of trust - technology trust and relational trust. and uses the technology acceptance model (TAM) to model their impact on consumer purchasing intentions. It is hypothesized that technically well-designed websites impact technology trust, while websites with emotional cues impact relational trust. In this research we develop a model that incorporates both technology trust and relational trust mechanisms by, applying TAM in the context of B2C. Technology trust is hypothesized to impact relational trust, and both. as mediated through TAM, are expected to increase a consumer's purchase intention. We discuss the implications of this model and directions for future research.