Understanding Exchangers’ Attitudes and Intentions to Engage in Internet Bartering Based on Social Exchange Theory (SET) and the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA)

Understanding Exchangers’ Attitudes and Intentions to Engage in Internet Bartering Based on Social Exchange Theory (SET) and the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA)

This study investigates factors influencing exchangers’ attitudes and intentions toward Internet bartering based on social exchange theory (SET) and the theory of reasoned action (TRA). Survey data was collected from 114 respondents who participate in Internet bartering. The partial least squares (PLS) approach was used for analysis. Results indicate that six factors significantly affect the intention to engage in Internet bartering: reciprocity, communication, justice, money saving, subjective norm, and critical mass. Results also show that the dimension of bartering interaction has a significant effect on trust, and that trust in turn influences commitment, which has a positive impact on attitudes toward Internet bartering, as does money saving. Social factors such as subjective norm and critical mass have direct and significant impacts on individuals’ intentions to engage in Internet bartering. The study provides a model for predicting factors influencing exchangers’ attitudes and intentions toward Internet bartering from the perspectives of bartering interaction, personal perception, and social factors.