The Role of Translated Information Quality in a Global e-Retailing Context

TL;DR

This study examines how the quality of translated product descriptions affects customer satisfaction, perceived risk, and usage intention in global e-retailing, comparing machine and crowdsourced translations from English to Simplified Chinese.

Contribution

It introduces a model integrating IS success and perceived risk theories to analyze translation quality effects and considers the moderating roles of translation method and brand.

Findings

Higher translation quality increases customer satisfaction.

Better translation reduces perceived product risk.

Translation method and brand influence tolerance of translation imperfections.

Abstract

Global e-retailing continues to gain in popularity, but little attention is being paid to the role of translation. This paper proposes a study investigating whether improving translated information quality of product descriptions increases the customers' information satisfaction, while reducing the perceived product risk, which in turn improves their intention to use an online shopping website. To manipulate translation quality, two translation methods are used: machine and crowdsourced. The chosen translation written language pair is from English to Simplified Chinese, as these are the official languages of world's two largest economies (U.S.A and China respectively) that also have large e-tailing markets. A model based on an integration of two theories, DeLone & McLean's Information Systems Success Model, and Perceived Risk Theory, has been developed for testing the impact of translated information quality. The moderating effect of translation method and e-retailer's brand influencing customers' tolerance of imperfect translation is also considered.