Why so skeptical? Investigating the emergence and consequences of consumer skepticism toward web seals

• Published in: Information & management 2024-03, Vol.61 (2), p.103920, Article 103920
• Main Authors: Lins, Sebastian, Greulich, Malte, Löbbers, Julian, Benlian, Alexander, Sunyaev, Ali
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Certifications; Consumer skepticism; Signaling theory; Web seals
• ISSN: 0378-7206; 1872-7530
• DOI: 10.1016/j.im.2024.103920

•Web seals have been subject to increasing skepticism from consumers.•Skepticism emergences in case of unreliable seals and incredible seal authorities.•Skepticism increases consumers’ inferences of manipulative intent.•Skepticism increases mistrust and reduces feelings of being protected.•Signaling theory is a viable lens to study situational web seal skepticism. Web seals have recently been subject to increasing skepticism from consumers. This study develops and tests a theoretical model of web seal skepticism by integrating multiple theoretical perspectives. We explore how web seal skepticism emerges and harms consumers’ perceptions. The results of an online experiment with 757 participants demonstrate that consumer skepticism increases consumers’ mistrust in information system providers and makes them feel less protected. Our findings also indicate that situational factors (web seal unreliability and seal authority incredibility) are significant antecedents of web seal skepticism and that consumers’ inferences of providers’ manipulative intent mediate the relationships.