The Role of Security, Design, and Content Factors on Customer Trust in Mobile Commerce

Module Title	Module Number	JACS Subject Code(s) and % of each subject	ASC Category(ies)
Technology Dissertation	CIS7017	I200	6

Level (3 to 8)	Credits	ECTS Credit	Module Value	% Taught in Welsh	Module Type
7	40	20	2.0	0%	Dissertation

Teaching Period	Pre-requisites
Semester 3	None

Module Leader	School(s)	Campus
Chow Siing Sia	Cardiff School of Technologies	Llandaff

The role of security, design and content factors on customer trust in mobile commerce.

Research background

This research project will emphasise exploring the role of design, security, and content determinants on customer trust in mobile commerce specifically on Inditex. Inditex is a Spain based multinational clothing retailer that is headquartered in Arteixo, Spain. It is the largest fast-fashion company worldwide with 7200 stores in around 93 markets. Inditex was founded in 1985 By Rosalia Mera and Amancio Ortega. There are around 162,450 employees globally working under the Inditex Group (Inditex, 2016).

According to Nilashi et al. (2015), building the trust of customers is complex that includes technology and business practices. Their trust in m-commerce (mobile commerce) is an overwhelming activity that influences their decision-making related to purchases. The trusted website offers mobile commerce with a competitive edge. The factors that influence customers' trust in mobile commerce sites are design, security, and content among others. In this research project, there will be a focus on the way Inditex uses these three factors (security, design, and content) to generate customers' trust in its mobile site or application. There will be a selection of relevant research methods to address the research issue. Additionally, the outcomes will be presented in a critical manner before making recommendations on the management of mobile commerce.

Research aim

The research aims to investigate the role of security, design, and content factors on customer trust in mobile commerce.

Research objectives

• To understand the importance of customer trust

• To analyse the role of design on customers' trust n mobile commerce in Inditex

• To investigate the role of security factors on customer trust in mobile commerce in Inditex

• To evaluate the role of content factors on consumer trust in mobile commerce in Inditex

• To suggest measures to Inditex to increase the trust level of the website and improve website quality

Research rationale

The research issue is an investigation of the role of security, design, and content factors on customers' trust in mobile commerce. It is regarded as a problem to be investigated as websites platys a major role in gaining the customer's trust and influencing decision-making. A non-trusted website affects the commerce and competitiveness of a business. In the present context, the case of Inditex will be considered to discuss how security content and design factors influence its customer's trust in the context of mobile commerce. Mobile commerce is used in Inditex for commercial transactions. Mobile payment apps installation in stores enabled Inditex to enhance mobile commerce activity (Alonso, 2019). Thus, there is a requirement to consider the factors that affect customer trust in using mobile applications or websites for making transactions. It is important to research this topic, as several factors influence customer’s engagement, decision, perception or behaviour towards a company’s website or app platform. The investigation may serve to fill the literature gap in the area by conducting research on specific businesses. Furthermore, this area requires further investigation to come up with measures to develop factors in order to increase customers' trust in mobile sites or apps of a business.

Reference List

Alonso, T., 2019. Pablo Isla explains his online strategy for Inditex. [online] Fashion Network. Available at: <https://us.fashionnetwork.com/news/Pablo-isla-explains-his-online-strategy-for-inditex,1084282.html> [Accessed 5 April 2022].

Inditex. 2016. Anual Report 2016 [online] Available at: http://static.inditex.com/annual_report_2016/en/ [Accessed 5 April 2022].

Nilashi, M., Ibrahim, O., Mirabi, V.R., Ebrahimi, L. and Zare, M., 2015. The role of Security, Design and Content factors on customer trust in mobile commerce. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 26, pp.57-69.