On-line Reputation Systems: The Effects of Feedback Comments and Reactions on Building and Rebuilding Trust in On-line Auctions
Abstract
Previous research on reputation systems primarily focused on their trust-building function. The present research addresses their trust-rebuilding function-specifically, the role of the short text comments given in reaction to negative feedback. Rebuilding trust is often necessary because on-line markets are noisy environments. The results of two experimental studies of eBay users show that trustworthiness judgments are influenced by the text comments accompanying negative feedback and also by whether a trust violation is perceived as competence-based or morality-based. Plain apologies were more successful than denials in repairing trust. These effects were mediated by the perceived believability of the comments. Thus, to avoid the detrimental effect of noise on trust, operators of on-line marketplaces should encourage text feedback comments and reactions.
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Plain apologies from a seller positively affect a buyer's trust, whereas denials have a negative effect on a buyer's trusting beliefs.
“As to the content, when a seller offers plain apologies, this positively affects a buyer's trust.Denials from a seller, on the other hand, have a negative effect on a buyer's trusting beliefs (Utz et al., 2009).”
From Antecedents of trust in the sharing economy: A systematic review (2017) · cites this paper as Utz et al., 2009
The way a seller responds to feedback influences a buyer's trust.
“The way a seller responds to feedback influences a buyer's trust, as identified by three studies (Malinen & Ojala, 2013;Strader & Ramaswami, 2002;Utz et al., 2009).”
From Antecedents of trust in the sharing economy: A systematic review (2017) · cites this paper as Utz et al., 2009
Cites
Resnick, P., Kuwabara, K., Zeckhauser, R., & Friedman, E. (2000) · Communications of the ACM · doi:10.1145/355112.355122 · Cited by 2,190 · see citing works
Some antecedents and effects of trust in virtual communities
Ridings, C. M., Gefen, D., & Arinze, B. (2002) · The Journal of Strategic Information Systems · doi:10.1016/s0963-8687(02)00021-5 · Cited by 1,423 · cited 2× · see citing works
“Behavioral trust can be influenced by the willingness to trust and by situational circumstances [12, 25].”
InfluentialPavlou, P. A., & Gefen, D. (2005) · Information Systems Research · doi:10.1287/isre.1050.0065 · Cited by 580 · see citing works
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Antecedents of trust in the sharing economy: A systematic review
ter Huurne, M., Ronteltap, A., Corten, R., & Buskens, V. (2017) · Journal of Consumer Behaviour · doi:10.1002/cb.1667 · Cited by 456 · see citing works
Sullivan, Y. W., & Kim, D. J. (2018) · International Journal of Information Management · doi:10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2017.12.008 · Cited by 443 · see citing works
Lewicki, R. J., & Brinsfield, C. (2017) · Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior · doi:10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-032516-113147 · Cited by 202 · see citing works
Zhang, L., Yan, Q., & Zhang, L. (2018) · Decision Support Systems · doi:10.1016/j.dss.2018.10.002 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
Repairing Integrity-Based Trust Violations in Ascription Disputes for Potential E-Commerce Customers
Deng, H., Wang, W., & Lim, K. H. (2022) · MIS Quarterly · doi:10.25300/misq/2022/15679 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
- Authors
- Utz, S., Matzat, U., & Snijders, C.
- Affiliations
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL)
- Eindhoven University of Technology (NL)
- Venue
- International Journal of Electronic Commerce
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2009-04
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 95-118
- ISSN
- 1086-4415 (ISSN-L)
- 1557-9301
- OpenAlex
- W2030981093
- Cited by
- 118
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 6
- FWCI
- 14.51
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Electronic Commerce (publishedVersion)
- TU/e Research Portal (publishedVersion)
- VU Research Portal (publishedVersion)
- TU/e Research Portal (submittedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Information Systems and Management › Technology Adoption and User Behaviour
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Access Control and Trust
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Privacy, Security, and Data Protection
- Keywords
- online reputation systems, trust building, trust repair, online auctions, negative feedback, user response, eBay
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