The Moderating Role of Espoused National Cultural Values on Perceptions of Privacy Assurance Mechanisms

Individuals’ privacy concerns can inhibit their online purchasing behavior. This paper investigates the moderating role of espoused individualism and uncertainty avoidance in the effect of external persuasion cues (e.g., privacy policy statements and third-party assurance seals) on attitude toward a website. This study hypothesizes that individuals scoring high on individualism or uncertainty avoidance are more persuaded by central cues (privacy policy statements) while individuals who score high on collectivism or low on uncertainty avoidance are more persuaded by peripheral cues (third party assurance seals)