The Role of Mobile-Computing Self-Efficacy in Consumer Information Disclosure

Information Systems Journal (ISJ), vol. 25(4), pp. 637–667 (doi: 10.1287/isre.2015.0569)

66 Pages Posted: 12 May 2015 Last revised: 21 Oct 2015

See all articles by Mark J. Keith

Mark J. Keith

Brigham Young University - Marriott School

Jeffry Babb

West Texas A&M University

Paul Benjamin Lowry

Virginia Tech - Pamplin College of Business

Christopher Furner

West Texas A&M University

Amjad Abdullat

West Texas A&M University

Date Written: May 11, 2015

Abstract

Smartphones are increasingly penetrating business and consumer markets, and mobile applications (apps) have engendered a large and innovative market. Whereas apps are useful, they also present new forms of privacy risk associated with users’ personal and location data. However, these dangers do not appear to increase the perceived risk or reduce the trust consumers demonstrate when using apps. Many information technology (IT) trust indicators are well documented, such as the quality of the IT, trust assurances, brand recognition and social influences. However, these traditional indicators appear to have a lesser impact on the adoption of mobile commerce via apps because of the nature of mobile-app adoption and subsequent information disclosure. As a result, we draw from social cognitive theory and its construct of self-efficacy in particular to explain perceived mobile-app risk and provider trust. Through two controlled experiments, we demonstrate the strong direct effect of mobile-computing self-efficacy on users’ initial trust in location-based app vendors as well as their perceived risk of disclosing information – regardless of the actual trustworthiness of the app vendor. The results imply that being skilled in the latest smartphones and apps can cause users to place greater trust in app providers and perceive less risk in the app itself, even when the intentions of the app providers cannot be verified.

Keywords: Mobile-Computing Self-Efficacy, Location-Based Services, Trust, Perceived Risk, Privacy Calculus, Mobile Apps, Smartphones

Suggested Citation

Keith, Mark J. and Babb, Jeffry and Lowry, Paul Benjamin and Furner, Christopher and Abdullat, Amjad, The Role of Mobile-Computing Self-Efficacy in Consumer Information Disclosure (May 11, 2015). Information Systems Journal (ISJ), vol. 25(4), pp. 637–667 (doi: 10.1287/isre.2015.0569), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2605368

Mark J. Keith

Brigham Young University - Marriott School ( email )

Provo, UT 84602
United States

Jeffry Babb

West Texas A&M University ( email )

Canyon, TX 79016
United States

Paul Benjamin Lowry (Contact Author)

Virginia Tech - Pamplin College of Business ( email )

1016 Pamplin Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061
United States

Christopher Furner

West Texas A&M University ( email )

Canyon, TX 79016
United States

Amjad Abdullat

West Texas A&M University ( email )

Canyon, TX 79016
United States

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