From social networking to willingness to disclose personal data when shopping online: modelling in the context of social exchange theory

ENThe trend toward personalized offers in online marketing requires buyers to disclose personal data. Buyers express low willingness to do this while buying online, though many are involved in social networking where sharing personal facts is routine. This study approaches this from the position of Social Exchange Theory (SET), positioning social networking and online buying as the two types of social exchange. They are influenced by trust and distrust, also considering perceptions about legal regulations of privacy and control. Based on a survey of 480 respondents, a structural equation modeling disclosed the impact of involvement in social media on the willingness of consumers to disclose personal data in online purchasing. The interaction was predicted by trust and distrust, with mediation of perceptions about the effectiveness of legal regulations. The study contributes to literature linking social networking and online purchasing in terms of data disclosure and suggesting SET for similar studies.