Our article on the perception and consequences of IS certifications is now published in the renowned journal "Information & Management"!

(11.01.2024) Our article "Why So Skeptical? Investigating the Emergence and Consequences of Consumer Skepticism toward Web Seals" by Sebastian Lins, Malte Greulich, Julian Löbbers, Alexander Benlian, and Ali Sunyaev was accepted by the journal "Information & Management".

The study was conducted as part of the DFG-funded research project "Unblackboxing IT-Certifications". It not only confirms the excellent cooperation between the research groups of Prof. Sunyaev (KIT) and Prof. Benlian (TU Darmstadt), but also complements other high-ranking publications from the project in the "IS Senior Scholars' List of Premier Journals".

Have a look (Open-Access): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2024.103920

Abstract

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.