Consumer resilience to online privacy violation – REPRICON
Commissioned by: Croatian Science Foundation
Project duration: January 3, 2020 - January 2, 2024
Project manager: Jelena Budak
Collaborators: Edo Rajh, Bruno Škrinjarić, Sunčana Slijepčević, Zvjezdan Penezić, Šime Lugović
Summary: The goal of this project was to develop and empirically test the conceptual model of resilience of Internet users who have experienced privacy violation online. Developing a comprehensive list of antecedents and adaptive responses to online consumer resilience was based on cross-disciplinary examination of literature on resilience and consumer behavior online in order to define variables in the model. Collating dispersed concepts of resilience and integrating contemporary consumer behavior approaches provided a rationale background for developing a theoretical framework of online consumer resilience. Project developed and validated the unique measurement instrument that ensured the successful testing of the entire research model on the survey data collected on the net sample of 1000 Internet users who experienced online privacy breach. The relations between variables in the model were analysed by structural equation modelling. Further, technical security aspects online and perceived risk in resilience and consumer behavior context, typology of internet users who experienced privacy online breach, as well as consumer resilience to online privacy violation and digitalization in public sector were investigated. The wrap-up of all findings led to the final model of online consumer resilience. Research reconciled segmented and controverting findings of previous studies, identified recent trends in this line of research across disciplines, and produced theoretical and empirical framework for further applicative research in social sciences. Implications and policy recommendations derived from the research will benefit business community to develop effective business strategies. Important impact is seen in raising public policy makers’ awareness on importance of protecting privacy online and in providing answers how to build the resilience of citizens in the digital society.
RESEARCH AREA: Consumers