Examining the Predictors of Consumer Trust and Social Commerce Engagement: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Trust and engagement in social commerce are increasingly recognized as critical drivers of consumers’ purchase intentions. This study aims to review the existing literature on consumer trust and engagement in social commerce by identifying the main predictors, examining research trends and gaps, and suggesting clear directions for future studies to better understand and support consumer behavior in this context. The study conducted a systematic literature review and a thematic analysis. The findings showed that four main themes were identified, including technological, organizational, social, and motivational. Under these four themes, eighteen sub-themes were identified. This study is innovative in systematically integrating predictors of consumer trust and engagement into a unified framework that positions trust as a mediator, and in developing a thematically grounded synthesis of four themes and eighteen sub-themes, highlighting underexplored areas such as entertainment and emerging technologies for future research. The studies of consumer trust and engagement are increasing in emerging economies. The study highlights the gaps in the current literature, including inadequate integration across theme categories, insufficient focus on emerging technologies such as blockchain and artificial intelligence, and a lack of examination of cultural and emotional aspects. Future research should deploy longitudinal designs, cross-cultural comparisons, and mixed-methods techniques to address these gaps. This study enhances the comprehension of trust and engagement in social commerce, offering significant insights for platform developers, marketers, and policymakers.