The direct and moderating influences of individual-level cultural values within web engagement: A multi-country analysis of a public information website

Research to date has not systematically examined the role and relative impact of individual-level cultural orientations. The literature offers no dominant approach as to the nature (direct, moderating or both) of individual-level cultural orientations. Thus, examination and comparison of the nature of the effects of individual-level cultural orientations are both timely and warranted. To address this research gap, a conceptual model exploring the relationship of individualism and uncertainty avoidance manifested as individual-level cultural orientations is developed. Specifically, the direct and moderating effects of the individual-level cultural orientations are assessed within a web engagement model linking perceived value of a website to two antecedents (trust and attitude toward the website). A web-based survey capturing views from 1845 consumers across seven European Union countries tested the models. The results show that individualistic orientation affects trust, but no clear moderating relationships are evident, thus questioning the moderating role of individual-level cultural orientations.