Diffusion and (mis)perception of internet trust marks in Germany and Italy – a comparative empirical analysis

Trust marks for online shops have been subject to intense research ever since their introduction in the USA in 1997. The vast majority of empirical research has its focus on national trust marks schemes, which come from a selected country – mainly the USA. Comparative studies about trust mark schemes from various countries and in particular cross-cultural comparative studies operating in more than one country are rare or not existent. This paper addresses this research gap by comparing the diffusion and perception of the most important trust marks in Germany and Italy. Two of the examined trust mark schemes (Trusted Shops and Ecommerce Europe) are operated in both countries. The analysis was carried out with the help of an empirical study executed in both countries. A total of 598 online shoppers (381 in Germany, 217 in Italy) were surveyed with an identical questionnaire and a website analysis of the most frequented online shops in Germany and Italy was performed. The results show significant differences regarding the diffusion and the recognition of trust marks by the study participants. Both diffusion and recognition were higher in Germany, including the schemes operated in both countries. At the same time, the study revealed great similarities regarding the (mis- )perception of the content of the analyzed trust mark schemes. In both countries, online shoppers showed an inadequate understanding of such certification, which means that trust marks currently do not fulfill their purpose, namely the generation of justified trust. The major implication for researchers and practitioners clearly lies in the development of measures to improve the correct perception of trust mark schemes. The authors’ proposal is comprised of a new mindset for the development of trust mark schemes, using an outside-in approach instead of the prevailing inside-out approach.