Revisiting the privacy calculus: Why are consumers (really) willing to disclose personal data online?

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2021

Authors

Teresa Fernandes (Author) FEP; Nuno Pereira (Author) FEP

Journal

Title: Telematics and Informatics

Vol. 65

ISSN: 0736-5853

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 50 Citations

Scopus - 54 Citations

Scientific classification

CORDIS: Social sciences

FOS: Social sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00V-H81

DOI: 10.1016/j.tele.2021.101717

Abstract (EN): With the digital age, businesses are increasingly collecting consumers' data, which is raising privacy issues. Existing research has been dominated by the rational-based privacy calculus theory, which overlooks the role of irrationality and contextual factors. This study accounts for the influence of both rational (benefits and costs) and irrational (habits) factors in the disclosure decision-making process, while considering the moderating role of context sensitivity. Data gathered from 956 consumers who disclosed personal data with self-selected companies partially supports the context-dependence of data disclosure and reveals that, although consumers do face a trade-off between perceived benefits and privacy loss, habit plays a dominant role. The study extends the privacy calculus theory and provides insights for businesses aiming to collect consumers' data across industries.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 11