E‐Commerce relationships: The impact of trust on relationship continuity

Most research has emphasized the interpersonal components of trust involved in establishing ecommerce relationships while limited attention has been paid on the technology and its interactions on e‐commerce relationships. This paper examines the impact of two forms of trust in e‐commerce relationships namely; technology trust relating to institutional structural assurances and security mechanisms embedded in e‐commerce technologies; and relationship trust referring to trading partners competent, predictably, reliability, and benevolence in the e‐commerce relationship. Based on the findings of a previous study that examined inter‐organizational dyads in business‐to‐business e‐commerce participation, we identify and illustrate how e‐commerce relationships evolve applying four modes in e‐commerce relationships namely; learning, monitoring, collaborating and distancing modes. We develop a number of propositions to facilitate empirical testing and indicate the framework’s key implications for future research and managerial practice.