Trust: an intercultural comparison of consumer perceptions

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine trust and posit that consumers perceive the trustworthiness of companies from a particular country differently.

Design/methodology/approach

An accepted US model of trust across cultures is tested. A survey questionnaire is used to collect the data from Taiwanese consumers.

Findings

The paper finds that Taiwanese consumers have different levels of trust toward companies from European, North American, and Asian countries.

Research limitations/implications

This study demonstrates that consumers have differential perceptions of the trustworthiness of foreign firms. Further research is needed to determine if the model explains trust equally well in other cultures.

Practical implications

Understanding factors (e.g. trust, costs, and values of product) that influence the success of trading relationships is important to every multinational corporation.

Originality/value

This paper explores the connection between perceptual trust of one particular country's trading partners, various indicators of corruption such as Hofstede's cultural components, the perception of corruption by Transparency International, and various trade activities.

Citation

Davis, J.H., Lee, M. and Ruhe, J. (2008), "Trust: an intercultural comparison of consumer perceptions", International Journal of Commerce and Management, Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 150-165. https://doi.org/10.1108/10569210810895230