Why different trust relationships matter for information systems users

Technology acceptance research has shown that trust is an important factor fostering use of information systems (IS). As a result, numerous IS researchers have studied factors that build trust in IS. However, IS research on trust has mainly focused on the trust relationship between the user and the IS itself, largely neglecting that other targets of trust might also drive IS use from a user’s point of view. Accordingly, we investigate the importance of different targets of trust in IS use. Therefore, we use the concept of a network of trust and identify four different targets of trust that are prevalent from a user’s point of view. Afterwards, we develop our research model and evaluate it using a free simulation experiment. The results show that multiple targets of trust are important in the context of IS use. In particular, we highlight the importance of a second target – trust in the provider – which is equally important as trust in the IS itself. Consequently, IS providers should focus not only on fostering users’ trust in their IS but also on positioning themselves as trustworthy providers. In addition, we show that a third target – trust in the Internet – has significant indirect effects on multiple constructs that impact IS use.