Disclosing personal information via hotel apps: A privacy calculus perspective

In an era dominated by mobile apps as the final element of the value chain, hotel: firms strive to offer their guests new levels of personalization. To obtain such personalization benefits, consumers need to disclose personal information to hotels, thus threatening their privacy. Engaging in a calculus of benefits and risks associated with information disclosure, consumers may overcome their risk perceptions and opt to disclose personal information. Using data from a sample of hotel: guests from the U.S., this study developed and empirically validated a conceptual model based on an extended version of the privacy calculus model that explained consumers' willingness to disclose personal information via hotel: apps. It was found that trust in the app and the overall value of information disclosure has significant impacts on personal information disclosure via apps. Several important implications for theory and practice of these findings are discussed. (c) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.