Action Research Paper and Power point (Both)

Building Trust through E-Commerce Websites

Bose Mithra Nalla

IST 8101

Wilmington University

Research topic: “To develop a project building Information elements that build trust in
e-Commerce websites”

Business transactions in e-commerce have a crucial role in building the influence and trust from all the customers and decide from it. Information obtained from the websites is the one, which helps in building the relationship with the users. It is also usual to find some information that is missing in all these websites (Bakar & Shahibi, 2010). Such information is very important to all the users who purchase products and make transactions faceless that is in e-commerce. In general, e-commerce is business that is complete electronical where people view the products in their electronic devices, decide from all the available products, pay money online and get the product delivered to home (Bakar & Shahibi, 2010). Using the internet and computer network all these transactions are made which include the processes like buying, selling, exchanging, getting service or information regarding the products purchased (Bakar & Shahibi, 2010).

E-commerce is websites where the providers and consumers can be getting their things done obtaining all the resources through online. As there will be no human interaction, there cannot be any external influential factors (Bakar & Shahibi, 2010). This indicates that the information elements included in the website should act as an influential factor that should make the users help to make decisions in making transactions. Customer interface is the first one that acts as the most influencing element in any e-commerce website. This interface should be flexible, easy to navigate, convenient and comfortable to access the different areas in the website. Content design is associated with the type of content included in the website and the format that is included plays an important role in transactions.

Structure design about the way things are aligned and structured for easy accessibility. Navigation design involves the mechanisms that can be used to navigate in a website and access all the features that are available through easy navigation (Bakar & Shahibi, 2010). Interface design always builds the most important and crucial trust elements so that the credibility, expertise, and trustworthiness can be established between the user and the website in the process of making transactions. A computer with effective and efficient system design features and some factors like psychological ones to make an impact on the user (Bakar & Shahibi, 2010). Communication with the customers, confidentiality of the personal information can be guaranteed.

Trust can be established if the information kept is confidential and private. Competence and consistency also keeps the users to make it stay in competition as well as to make the transactions discrete to build loyalty and integrity with the customers. Reputation of the website and its brand name are also factors that build the trust of users (Bakar & Shahibi, 2010). They have the reputation that they will not hurt the trust of customers and disappoint them. All the information that is provided in the website must be complete and should describe the product completely. Images and information should be relevant to the product so that they can be in a structured way. All the elements will be identified and can be presented in a complete and understandable which makes the website more trustworthy.

Methodology

A descriptive cross sectional study design will be advanced. The research will involve the use qualitative data collection tools, particularly questionnaires. This research design is appropriate due to the nature of data intended. The information needed is descriptive in nature and therefore making this design to useful. Action research is a process that is flexible to the users and allows the maximum possible action to be implemented to bring the change that is expected performing the research. The main intention of action research methodology is to understand the research that is being performed and some knowledge can be achieved at the same time (Dick, 2002). Implementing the change helps to know about the change that is being applied in the process. People who are generally associated with changes are much involved with action research. This is a process where implementing the change by acting and researching about the change that is being applied parallelly. Action research process is very like the human rhythm where we tend to do a process, implement it, observe the change and if it is not implemented well, we change it by repeating the process until it is done.

Sample size determination

The sample size”n” will be determined using the formula expressed in the model is that follow;

n=

Where;

n=the desired sample size.

z=the value that corresponds to the 95% confidence interval which is 1.96

p=the probability of an event (proportion of the sexually active adolescents who are pregnant adolescents)

q=1-p

d=the degree of precision of error to be committed which will be 5% (0.05)

n=1.962×0.5×0.5

0.052

=0.955÷0.0025

=382

A sample size of 382 will be used.

Sampling techniques

This research employed purposive sampling approach when gathering all the information because this technique suited the purpose of the study. These sampling techniques are the strategies applied by researchers during the statistical sampling process and that these techniques help to minimize costs. Through this approach, the researcher will be able to collect reliable information with a higher convenience from the key responsible individuals in each section of the research area. Action research is something, which involves action, and review of the actions taken in a cyclic process until the outcome is as expected. All the outcomes of the action taken will be known and accurate (Reardon, 2000). Action research, the name itself implicates that action and research is performed parallelly. Sometimes the research performed will assist the action taken in the process and vice versa. Outcome in action research purely involves people in the process of planning and action. This will be flexible to the people and become responsive to the situation (Schoen & Nolen, 2004). This strategy helps to remove the gap between the people who plan it and the people who implement it as the work will be done collaboratively.

Action research also has the benefit that it can suit well to all the situations that might change during the process. Following the action with critical reflection is the way that mostly yields the research outcome (Wilson, 2016). Action is implemented and the results are reviewed once they are obtained. Changes will be altered in the iterations performed during the process. A critical reflection will be done so that the reflection provides necessary actions to be taken in the next iteration. This iteration will be like action followed by a critical reflection based on the things that didn’t work out (Schoen & Nolen, 2004). Understanding will be done based on the reflection, some conclusions will be drawn implementing the plans, and then they will be tested.

Type of data collected

Primary data from the respondents using self-administered questionnaires will be collected. The data will be obtained from the field for the purposes of answering research questions/specific objectives of this study. This type of data will help the researcher to get data that are more recent because they will be derived straight from the field. Primary data refers to data used in research originally obtained through the direct efforts of the researcher through surveys, interviews, and direct observation. Some of the most prominent used methods are observation, interviews, questionnaires, and experiments.

Qualitative data and natural process of research will be done in the process of action research. All the information generated must be qualitative because they are used to provide output and explain the research. Quantitative and qualitative are both the terms that are associated with the action research process (Schoen & Nolen, 2004). All the process is done in a cyclic manner including the critical reflection process. All the research questions can be answered through this process and the answers can be obtained in an efficient manner. This process can help to provide better answers and better research methods. All the imprecise questions will be answered in the process of research and through an appropriate choice (Dick, 2002).

Data collection instruments

Data collection is defined as the systematic way of gathering information, which is relevant to the research purpose or questions. Data will be collected using a structured questionnaire, specifically designed for this study. A structured questionnaire “enables the investigator to be consistent in asking questions and data yielded is easy to analyze.” The questionnaires will be self-administered questionnaires. Research assistants will be employed to assist in the administration of questionnaires and processing. Data statistician will be also hired to help in data analysis using SPSS computer program.

Action research process helps to learn the concepts when the research process is being performed. Proceeding further with each iteration makes the researcher more precise about the topic and he can answer all the questions in an efficient manner. This also helps to determine alternative ways to find the solution (Reardon, 2000). It is also tested to make all the functions to be included in the outcome.

Validity and reliability

For achieving validity and reliability, questionnaires will be designed in such a way that they captured relevant information for the research objectives. Validity explains the accuracy and truth of the data in research, while reliability means that if the research is repeated by the respondents or independent observers with the same methods they will acquire the same results or data. This will support the findings and ensure that the community accepted the results after being proved that it was true or it would have been rejected. The research instruments will be pre tested to ensure whether the questions were acceptable, answerable, and well understood. The pre-tested instruments will help to identify questions, which may cause ambiguity and contradiction.

Data analysis methods

Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques were used to analyze data to minimize the weaknesses of one another. Data analysis is the process of systematically applying statistical and/or logical techniques to describe, illustrate, condense, recap, and evaluate data. All the responses were coded well and grouped under specific objectives they had addressed. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20 software before carrying out an analysis. One of the most important uses of data analysis is that it helps in keeping human bias away from research conclusion with the help of proper statistical treatment.

Ethical considerations

The researchers will seek for permission from the local area authorities and administration prior to the actual study being advanced in the area. The purpose of the questionnaire will be well explained to the respondents. Confidentiality will be ensured throughout the study.

Bakar, Z. A., & Shahibi, M. S. (2010, December). Information elements of a website that promotes trust in e-commerce. Retrieved from IEEE: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251991083_Information_elements_of_a_website_that_promotes_trust_in_e-commerce

Dick, B. (2002). Action research: action and research. Retrieved from Aral: http://www.aral.com.au/resources/aandr.html

Reardon, K. M. (2000, January 01). Action Research. Journal of the American Planning Association, 66(1), 103.

Schoen, S. F., & Nolen, J. (2004, September 01). Action Research. Teaching Exceptional Children, 37(1), 26.

Wilson, V. (2016, March 01). Research Methods: Action Research. Evidence Based Library and Information Practice, 11, 63-65.