In addition, the study makes an important contribution to IT
management by considering a sample of s-commerce users to
provide a better understanding of the relationships between the
variables in the research model. Further, the study provides a better
understanding of some key variables (particularly non-technical
ones) influencing consumers’ trust in s-commerce by explaining
the process of trust performance at the individual level (as in the
evaluation of the characteristics of s-commerce) instead of considering
technological, individual, or social attributes.
In terms of practical implications, the results suggest that
s-commerce is receiving increasing attention from Korean consumers.
Therefore, managers with a solid understanding of
the factors influencing trust and trust performance are better
positioned to transform their e-commerce firms into trusted scommerce
firms. Start-up s-commerce firms and e-commerce firms
launching s-commerce sites should take necessary steps to ensure
that their managers and employees clearly recognize the importance
of trust. Many consumers remain reluctant to purchase
products and services from s-commerce firms because these firms
are likely to be less trustworthy than other online firms because
of the nature of SNSs. Therefore, s-commerce marketers should
place great emphasis on increasing the level of consumers’ trust.
In this regard, the results provide s-commerce managers with a
better understanding of what key s-commerce characteristics they
should focus on to improve consumers’ trust and trust performance,
thereby improving their s-commerce services and ensuring
business success. In particular, to increase the level of consumers’
trust, s-commerce firms should provide their customers with highquality
information and transaction safety.
In addition, s-commerce marketers and firms should make
efforts to acquire a good reputation and a large market share to
succeed in the s-commerce market. The results suggest that scommerce
firms should engage in consistent communication with
consumers to develop their trust and facilitate positive WOM referrals,
which play a crucial role in business success. Trust is an
important phenomenon in online environments as well as in scommerce.
Therefore, it is crucial for s-commerce marketers to
clearly understand the important trust antecedents to gain a competitive
advantage. That is, s-commerce managers should place
greater emphasis on fostering consumers’ trust in their firms to
gain a competitive advantage over their competitors