Title: Power - responsibility dynamics and consumer privacy predicament in smart phone applications marketplaces

Authors: Sanjay Mohapatra; Komal Goel

Addresses: Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751013, India ' Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751013, India

Abstract: As people use smartphone apps for a variety of purposes, a steady stream of app-based consumer data services that rely on the data-driven marketing model are being launched. The power-responsibility equilibrium theory (PRE) is used in this study to investigate the effect of context-dependent privacy norms on privacy concerns among smartphone app users. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) approach was applied to test on 154 valid responses using structured survey questionnaire. Our finding reveals lack of corporate transparency and illusory informed consent may deprive consumers of privacy control, and inappropriate flow of information may further breach their integrity of privacy based on contextual integrity.

Keywords: social contract theory; power responsibility equilibrium framework; contextual integrity; smartphone app-based online privacy concerns; corporate transparency; consumers' informed consent.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIR.2025.146037

International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, 2025 Vol.37 No.1, pp.42 - 63

Received: 17 Jan 2022
Accepted: 28 May 2022
Published online: 02 May 2025 *

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