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Users' perceptions on privacy and their intention to transact online: a study on Greek internet users

A. Zorotheos (Department of Marketing and Communication, Athens University of Economics and Business, Athens, Greece)
E. Kafeza (Department of Marketing and Communication, Athens University of Economics and Business, Athens, Greece)

Direct Marketing: An International Journal

ISSN: 1750-5933

Article publication date: 5 June 2009

1390

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the internet users' privacy concerns (concerns for information privacy, CFIP) and perceived privacy control (PPC) affect their willingness to use internet web places in order to transact. A theoretical model is introduced that describes how users' CFIP and PPC may affect their willingness to transact through web places when personal information must be disclosed in order to accomplish the transaction.

Design/methodology/approach

The research model is empirically tested using data collected with a survey that include items for each of the constructs of the model. The survey is administrated to 190 internet users and resulted in 142 usable responses through questionnaires. In order to test the hypotheses, multidimensional regression analysis is used.

Findings

The findings indicate that both users' CFIP and users' PPC (some dimensions of them) have direct impact not only to users' trust toward the web site as expected but also to the willingness to transact through the internet when personal information needs to be disclosed.

Research limitations/implications

In this paper, an introductory analysis is conducted in order to preliminary test the validity and credibility of the research model. In this first approach, the multidimensional regression analysis is used. Currently, the paper deals with the use of structural equation modeling in order to better test the research model. The research could be conducted also online in order to investigate users' behavior under real circumstances.

Practical implications

The more users know about their personal information the less willing they are to make purchases through internet. Moreover, if web places improve their mechanisms and procedures that correct better the inaccuracies and the errors in the users' stored personal data then users' willingness to retrieve information from web sites improves too.

Originality/value

Existing studies constitute the basic theoretical framework but until now there is not a model that connects both users' CFIP and users' PPC with the willingness to transact through the internet and with users' trust upon the web sites.

Keywords

Citation

Zorotheos, A. and Kafeza, E. (2009), "Users' perceptions on privacy and their intention to transact online: a study on Greek internet users", Direct Marketing: An International Journal, Vol. 3 No. 2, pp. 139-153. https://doi.org/10.1108/17505930910964795

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2009, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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