The Role of Perceived Technology and Consumers’ Personality Traits for Trust Transfer in Airbnb

AbstractAirbnb is widely popular among tourists around the world and in the hospitality industry. With Airbnb being a sharing economy and a type of e-commerce platform, consumers’ trust in it is an important issue. This study proposed three information technology factors affecting trust in Airbnb from positive and negative aspects. Personality traits affecting trust in Airbnb and its hosts are also put forward. Using data collected from Chinese Airbnb users, this study applied the structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the proposed hypotheses. Results suggest various implications for Airbnb and similar sharing economy platforms.