Business Dissertation Topics

Business Dissertation Topics

Info: 949 words (1 pages) Business Dissertation Topics

Published: 20th May 2025 in Business Dissertation Topics

Share this:

We provide a variety of timely dissertation themes investigating digital trust and user adoption of e-commerce platforms focusing on risk perception, cognitive decision-making, and cybersecurity awareness in business contexts.

Introduction

As digital business ecosystems continue to grow, trust becomes an important aspect of consumers’ online behaviour, particularly within developing regions where digital infrastructure is emerging. Malaysia is a developing country with a rapidly growing e-commerce sector; however, trust of privacy, security, and trust will continue to affect overall adoption rates. Trust will not only be a technical issue with issues of safety, it will also form a cognitive and perceptual issue all influenced by user perceptions of risk, platform credibility, and their own data security. Research on the psychological and behavioural aspects of such outcomes, particularly within localized, socio-cultural business contexts, has not been explored.

Background Context

Even though online shopping platforms in Southeast Asia are still developing in terms of technology, their acceptance is often based more on perceived trustworthiness than appearing nice and functional. Many users cannot complete their purchase due to fears of fraud, privacy breach, or misinformation. There is a lot of potential for business researchers to explore the connections of digital platform management strategies, trust and customer behaviours in an online marketplace. The influence of cognitive biases in the consideration of perceived risk and trustworthiness as determined by branding, policies, and independent certification or guarantees also needs further consideration empirically.

Future Research Topics

Trust Perception Models: Investigating how consumers build trust between e-commerce platforms in Southeast Asia.
Digital Risk Communication: Analysing how platforms communicate their frameworks to communicate privacy, data protection and fraud protection.
Cognitive Factors in Online Buying: Investigating the relationships between consumer perception, heuristics, and risk aversion in online consumption.
Cybersecurity Awareness Campaigns: Evaluating the effectiveness of digital literacy initiatives and their impact on trust and safety perception of consumers.

Potential Implications

  • Enhance design strategies to develop better user trust and satisfaction in digital markets.
  • Assist policymakers in the development of cybersecurity communication regulations considring user psychology.
  • Assist online platforms in improving cart abandonment rates by implementing targeted trust-oriented features.
  • Support culturally normative e-commerce business models in developing economies.
  • Topic 1: Building Consumer Trust in Emerging E-Commerce Markets: A Malaysian Perspective

    Background

    Although technology has advanced in the area of online shopping platforms in Malaysia, consumer hesitation remains a major challenge to online shopping due to a lack of trust. Trust levels are contingent upon platform integrity, user experience and transaction security.

    Research Questions

  • Which platform features have the greatest impact on user trust for e-commerce in Malaysia?
  • What is the influence of cognitive perceptions of risk regarding people’s shopping decisions online?
  • What is third-party assurances (e.g., badges, reviews) contribution to reducing perceived risk?
  • Potential Implications

  • Provide local e-commerce startups with user-centered design principles.
  • Foster cross platform benchmarking recipe for building trust practices
  • Help produce marketing campaigns that highlight trust
  • Suggested Reading

  • Othman, M. K., et al. (2025). Investigating the role of trust on perceived risk and cognitive decision making in online shopping platforms: A Malaysian context. International Journal on Perceptive and Cognitive Computing, 9(1), 19–30. Link
  • Zhang, Y., Li, T., & Wang, H. (2025). Revisiting consumer trust in AI-driven e-commerce: An integrated model of trust, risk, and perceived usefulness. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research.
  • Nguyen, H. T., & Chen, L. (2024). Online consumer behaviour in live-stream shopping: An integrated TAM-trust-risk framework. Internet Research.
  • Topic 2: Digital Risk Perception and Consumer Behaviour in Southeast Asian Online Markets

    Background

    Consumers’ decisions online are often driven by perceived—not actual—risk. Knowing how risk perception drives consumer behaviour will allow companies to develop interventions to reduce fear and uncertainty.

    Research Questions

  • How do Malaysian consumers assess and respond to realized digital risks when shopping online?
  • Which demographic segments exhibit the greatest risk aversion?
  • When it comes to alleviating consumers’ anxiety, which risk-removal messages are most effective?
  • Potential Implications

  • Inform the communication strategy of ecommerce retailers.
  • Guide segmentation of marketing activities based on trust profiles.
  • Contribute to models of digital trust that will be region specific.
  • Suggested Reading

  • Ahmed, R., Malik, S. I., & Khan, A. A. (2025). Evaluating the role of trust in the adoption of mobile payment systems in developing economies: A moderated mediation analysis. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 56(1), 89–110.
  • Tan, J. W., Teo, H. H., & Chan, H. C. (2025). Revisiting consumer trust in mobile payments: The effects of perceived transparency and institutional assurance. Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 56(2), 134–159.
  • Topic 3: Cybersecurity Awareness and E-Commerce Trust: Evaluating the Impact of Digital Literacy Campaigns

    Background

    Government and private sector initiatives have started to promote awareness of cybersecurity; however, their effectiveness in improving e-commerce trust and behaviour are still unknown.

    Research Questions

  • To what extent do cybersecurity awareness campaigns affect consumer trust in online shopping?
  • How does digital literacy mediate the relationship between awareness and risk perception?
  • What are the key psychological triggers in effective awareness messages?
  • Potential Implications

  • Inform national policies for cybersecurity communication.
  • Support e-commerce platforms in implementing trust-based education strategies.
  • Increase consumer confidence and transaction rates.
  • Suggested Reading

  • Huang, Y., Zhao, X., & Lin, C. (2025). Strategies for reducing consumer privacy concerns: The impact of privacy label design and readability on trust and engagement. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 61, 45–62.
  • Lee, D., Park, S. Y., & Choi, M. (2025). Why consumers ignore privacy notices: A behavioural economics perspective on digital consent fatigue. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 60, 12–30.
  • Conclusion

    E-commerce is a strategic mainstay in emerging markets so understanding psychologies of trust, perceived risk and digital behaviour is critical. The topics for dissertation will provide design frameworks for understanding how online business platforms can respond to end-user concerns, establish credibility, and develop ongoing consumer relationships. The recommended readings will be useful to digital marketers, product development teams, and policy makers interested in creating safe and inclusive digital economies. Start your dissertation journey with topics that matter. Dive into the intersection of trust, technology, and consumer behaviour in emerging digital markets. Use these curated topics and expert readings to shape your impactful business research today!

    Study Resources

    Free resources to assist you with your university studies!

    Research Gap:

    This will close in 0 seconds