Initial Trust: Three-Factor Model vs. Two-Factor Model

Initial trust is important, especially in the ecommerce context, for online retailers to achieve customers’ initial commitment which may lead to a more robust relationship. For this reason, several previous studies of ecommerce focused on initial trust. However, one problem with the previous studies is the validity of initial trust. In this paper, we compared a three-factor model of initial trust (competence, benevolence, and integrity) with a two-factor model (competence and goodwill). A statistical analysis with structural equation modeling indicated that the two factors of the three-factor model (i.e., benevolence and integrity) failed to provide evidence of discriminant validity. On the other hand, the two factor model demonstrated evidence of validity and reliability of the constructs (i.e., competence and goodwill). As an alternative to the three-factor model, therefore, the two-factor model of initial trust is presented with theoretical and practical implications.