Design and Validation of a Model of Trust Formation Mechanisms in Digital Purchase Decision-Making: A Mixed-Methods Approach

Esmaeil Mohebbi Kandsari; Mousa Rezvani Chaman Zamin; Saber Ghorbani; Houshang Taghizadeh

Authors

Esmaeil Mohebbi Kandsari Department of Management, Ara.C., Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2377-7684
Mousa Rezvani Chaman Zamin Department of Management, As.C., Islamic Azad University, Astara, Iran Corresponding author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7292-2037
Saber Ghorbani Department of Public Administration, Sara.C., Islamic Azad University, Sarab, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1391-638X
Houshang Taghizadeh Department of Management, Ta.C., Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0963-0653

Keywords:

Digital Trust, Purchase Decision, Making, Online Shopping, Service Reliability, Perceived Risk, Platform Quality, Mixed, Methods Research

Abstract

The present study aimed to design and validate a comprehensive model of the mechanisms underlying trust formation in digital purchase decision-making. This applied study employed an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design. In the qualitative phase, 15 experts in digital marketing, e-commerce, online sales platforms, and business management were selected through purposive and snowball sampling, and semi-structured interviews were conducted until theoretical saturation was achieved. The qualitative data were analyzed through six-phase thematic analysis using MAXQDA, and the extracted components were assessed using the Content Validity Ratio. In the quantitative phase, 384 customers of online shopping platforms participated. A researcher-developed 23-item questionnaire based on the qualitative findings was administered using a five-point Likert scale. The overall Cronbach’s alpha was 0.956, indicating excellent reliability. Descriptive statistics were analyzed in SPSS, while Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Modeling were conducted in AMOS. The measurement model demonstrated satisfactory fit, with CMIN/df = 3.069, GFI = 0.935, IFI = 0.943, TLI = 0.923, CFI = 0.955, NFI = 0.908, and RMSEA = 0.007. All five structural paths to trust formation were positive and statistically significant. Service reliability and customer interaction had the strongest effect (β = 0.908, t = 4.692, p < 0.001), followed by security, privacy, and perceived risk reduction (β = 0.704, t = 6.148, p < 0.001), transparency, honesty, and economic value of the transaction (β = 0.491, t = 5.457, p < 0.001), seller credibility, legitimacy, and social capital (β = 0.312, t = 5.345, p < 0.001), and platform quality and user experience (β = 0.262, t = 5.232, p < 0.001). Trust formation in digital purchase decision-making is a multidimensional process primarily driven by reliable service performance, perceived security and risk reduction, transparent and fair transactions, seller credibility, and platform quality, indicating that sustainable digital trust requires coordinated managerial attention to relational, technological, informational, and service-based mechanisms.

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