Longitudinal Shifts of Commitment and Perceived Risk between Trust and Customer Loyalty

摘要

The relationship between trust and customer loyalty is time-dependent. Thus, this study uses longitudinal analysis from panel data to establish the dynamic relationship between trust and customer loyalty and demonstrates how the effect of time changes the relative importance of the mediating effects between perceived risk and commitment. As a result, the carryover effects of trust, perceived risk, commitment, and customer loyalty from one period to another are significant. In addition, as a relationship is developed over time, the mediating effect of commitment between trust and customer loyalty increases, while the mediating effect of perceived risk diminishes. In other words, trust begins as a risk reduction mechanism and may evolve over time into a strong relationship with a genuine sharing of commitment, mutuality of interest and concern for customers and e-retailers.