Personalising with Purpose – How Transparency Disclosures Shape Consumer Responses

Sammanfattning

Purpose: This thesis explored how consumers respond to GenAI-enabled personalisation in the context of landing pages. The focus lies on their intention to continue using the service after the first encounter. Given the paradoxical nature of personalisation, the mediating roles of perceived usefulness and privacy concerns are examined. Furthermore, this study explores how the presence or absence of a transparency disclosure moderates these effects. Research Question: This study followed three aims: How does the strength of GenAI enabled personalisation on landing pages effect continuance intention, what role does the personalisation-privacy paradox play in this effect and how does personalisation transparency affect this relationship? Methodology: A quantitative, experimental survey design was adopted, in which 206 participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions, evaluating an online pharmacy across varying levels of personalisation and the presence or absence of a transparency disclosure. The moderated mediation model was analysed using regression. Findings/Conclusion: The study revealed that GenAI-enabled personalisation did not have a total effect on continuance intention. This is explained by the two opposing mediating pathways that demonstrate comparable strength: personalisation increases perceived usefulness while simultaneously heightening privacy concerns. These findings are consistent with Approach-Avoidance Theory, which describes the paradox. Furthermore, disclosures exhibit a moderating effect by reducing privacy concerns. Interpreted through Attribution Theory, this suggests that transparency primarily influences affective dimensions of consumer evaluation. Theoretical and Managerial Contributions: Both theories were successfully extended to the context of GenAI-enabled personalisation. From a managerial perspective, it must be recognised that stronger personalisation does not necessarily improve outcomes. Proactively disclosing personalisation practices represents an attractive strategy for firms. Keywords: Personalisation, Personalisation-Privacy Paradox, Transparency, GenAI, Dynamic Landing Pages, Approach-Avoidance Theory, Attribution Theory, Mediated Moderation