Transparency requirements after the pandemic: traceability information, information usefulness and trust

Purpose The flagship traceability technology is increasing transparency, social benefit and economic value particularly after the pandemic. There has not been much research on how information quality in transparency affects information usefulness and trust. The research model is built on the framework of transparency requirements and incorporates the usefulness of traceability information and trust. Design/methodology/approach Questionnaire survey was used for data collection. To evaluate the research model, structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed. Measurement invariance analysis was used to investigate variations in trust between groups. Findings The results show that transparency requirements including information relevancy, ease of manipulation and value-added information affect information usefulness. The usefulness of traceability information positively affects trust in producers. Information receivers who believe in the credibility of traceability information have a higher level of trust than those who do not. Originality/value The results have important theoretical and practical implications for academia and industry to devise strategies and policies on data-centric traceability systems.