Trust Across Borders: Buyer-Supplier Trust in Global B2B E-commerce

Trust is important in all business, but especially in global e-commerce, even as it is more difficult to develop. This study examines two antecedents of trust in global B2B e-commerce highlighted by information signaling theory: (1) buyers‟ perceptions of the integrity and legal structure of the suppliers‟ country of origin, and (2) third-party verifications of suppliers. Findings from a survey of organizational buyers on a B2B exchange are: (1) perceptions of suppliers‟ country attributes and supplier verifications have direct and moderated effects on buyers‟ trust, and (2) buyers‟ trust in suppliers positively affects their supplier-selection decisions.