Interpersonal and Technology-Based Trust Research: Gaps and Opportunities for Research and Practice

Trust is something we encounter every day in our personal lives, but it becomes increasingly important in technology-based transactions because traditional interpersonal trust factors cannot be applied as usual. The last “special issue†on trust in the IS research literature appeared in 2008. Given the lead time associated with published research, the studies that were reported in that special issue occurred just prior to the introduction of the first iPhone, when Facebook was in its infancy, and several years prior to the introduction of digital currency or AI-based assistants such as Siri and Alexa. Much has changed since then. A comprehensive review of trust research, from both a non-technology and a technology perspective, provides an opportunity to identify gaps and opportunities for research and practice. Because trust is a very complex construct, we first review the term, the boundaries between it and IT trust, and the history of non-technology-based trust. This review is organized in the context of personal, professional, and organizational relationships, looking at initial trust and the long-term evolution of trust. Next, an overview of existing technology-based trust studies published in MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research, and other IS research outlets is provided. Finally, we identify where research and practical gaps and opportunities exist for future technology-based trust studies by balancing acquired and practical relevance.