Self-disclosure on the web: The impact of privacy policy, reward, and company reputation

Companies need to collect information about consumers to exploit the personalization opportunities afforded by the Internet. However consumers have significant privacy concerns about providing this personal information. In an exploratory experimental study, three approaches for encouraging self-disclosure of personal information-the completeness of the privacy policy, the reputation of the company, and the offer of a reward-are examined. The results indicate that completeness of privacy policy and reputation of the company reduce the level of concern over self-disclosure, while the offer of a reward heightens concern.