The Impact of Socioeconomic and Cultural Differences on Online Trade

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Elfenbein, Daniel W.; Fisman, Raymond; McManus, Brian
• 署名单位: Washington University (WUSTL); Boston University; University of North Carolina; University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
• 刊物名称: MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0025-1909
• DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.2023.4681
• 发表日期: 2023
• 页码: 6181-6201
• 关键词: E-commerce; culture; trust; Trade frictions

摘要

We use eBay data to investigate how within-U.S. trade is influenced by differences in socioeconomic characteristics. States' similarity in cultural characteristics (ethnicity, religious affiliations, and political behavior) predicts online trade; cultural similarity similarly predicts trade within product categories. The culture-trade relationship is stronger for transactions with sellers who lack extensive reputations or certification, suggesting that consumers infer seller trustworthiness from cultural similarity. There is no correlation between cultural similarity and buyer satisfaction, suggesting that perceived differences in trustworthiness are not validated in actual transactions.