Trust formation in facebook buy and sell groups: The case of Karadeniz Technical University

Facebook buy and sell groups have been widely used by its users for shopping, specially selling-off members' second-hand products. Such groups are also created and used by university students around the universities to provide affordable products. This study aims to explain the formation of trust between buyers and sellers in Facebook buy and sell groups used by students. Based on prior literature this study explores the relationship among dispositional trust (Trusting Stance, Trust in Humanity), institutional trust (Structural Assurance, Perceived Similarity as Situation Normality), cognitive process (Message stereotyping) and initial trust (Trusting Belief, Trusting İntention). Data collected from 228 students of Karadeniz Teknik University, using an online questioner and convenience sampling and a structural model was empirically tested. After reliability and validity of the measurement model had tested applying exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, the research hypothesis was tested using structural equation modeling. Based on the research results, perceived similarity found to be completely, and structural assurance and dispositional trust partially affecting trust formation between buyer and seller of Facebook buy and sell groups. Message stereotyping found to have no significant effect on trust formation between buyer and seller in the context of Facebook Buy and Sell groups.