Purpose

In the online environment, consumers increasingly feel vulnerable due to firms’ expanding capabilities of collecting and using their data in an unsanctioned manner. Drawing from gossip theory, this research focuses on two key suppressors of consumer vulnerability: transparency and control. Previous studies conceptualize transparency and control from rationalistic approaches that overlook individual experiences and present a unidimensional conceptualization. This research aims to understand how individuals interpret transparency and control concerning privacy vulnerability in the online environment. Additionally, it explores strategic approaches to communicating the value of transparency and control.

Design/methodology/approach

An interpretivism paradigm and phenomenology were adopted in the research design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 41 participants, including consumers and experts, and analyzed through thematic analysis.

Findings

The findings identify key conceptual dimensions of transparency and control by adapting justice theory. They also reveal that firms can communicate assurance, functional, technical and social values of transparency and control to address consumer vulnerability.

Originality/value

This research makes the following contributions to the data privacy literature. The findings exhibit multidimensional and comprehensive conceptualizations of transparency and control, including user, firm and information perspectives. Additionally, the conceptual framework combines empirical insights from both experiencers and observers to offer an understanding of how transparency and control serve as justice mechanisms to effectively tackle the issue of unsanctioned transmission of personal information and subsequently address vulnerability. Lastly, the findings provide strategic approaches to communicating the value of transparency and control.

中文翻译：

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消费者脆弱性：了解在线环境中的透明度和控制

目的

在在线环境中，由于企业以未经批准的方式收集和使用其数据的能力不断增强，消费者越来越感到脆弱。这项研究借鉴八卦理论，重点关注消费者脆弱性的两个关键抑制因素：透明度和控制。先前的研究通过理性主义方法来概念化透明度和控制，这些方法忽视了个人经历并呈现出单维的概念化。本研究旨在了解个人如何解读在线环境中隐私漏洞的透明度和控制。此外，它还探索了传达透明度和控制价值的战略方法。

设计/方法论/途径

研究设计采用了解释主义范式和现象学。通过对 41 名参与者（包括消费者和专家）进行半结构化访谈收集数据，并通过主题分析进行分析。

发现

研究结果通过适应正义理论确定了透明度和控制的关键概念维度。他们还表明，企业可以传达透明度和控制的保证、功能、技术和社会价值，以解决消费者的脆弱性。

原创性/价值

这项研究对数据隐私文献做出了以下贡献。研究结果展示了透明度和控制的多维和全面的概念，包括用户、公司和信息的角度。此外，概念框架结合了经验者和观察者的经验见解，以提供对透明度和控制如何作为正义机制的理解，以有效解决未经批准的个人信息传输问题并随后解决脆弱性。最后，研究结果提供了传达透明度和控制价值的战略方法。