The Paradox of Trust in Digital vs. Human-Delivered Postal Services: A Behavioural Experiment on Customer Satisfaction in Goa’s Hybrid Service Model
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The digital transformation of postal services has redefined the foundations of customer trust by shifting reliance from human couriers to algorithmic systems. This transition has created tensions between affective reassurance offered by personal interaction and cognitive reliability associated with digital platforms. Despite growing literature on digital service adoption, limited research examines how affective and cognitive trust operate within hybrid postal models, particularly in regional contexts such as Goa where both convenience and interpersonal trust matter. The present study addresses this gap by investigating the dominance of affective trust in human delivered services, the prominence of cognitive trust in digital services, the mediating role of trust in satisfaction, and the moderating effects of age and technological savviness. A behavioral experiment with 400 participants employed surveys and regression analyses to test four sets of hypotheses. Results show that affective trust strongly predicts satisfaction in human delivered services, while cognitive trust dominates in digital contexts. Trust emerged as a significant overall predictor of satisfaction, while older users displayed clear aversion to digital services. Parcel value did not significantly alter the relationship between service mode, trust, and satisfaction. These findings imply that service providers must design hybrid systems that combine emotional reassurance with technological efficiency, tailored to demographic differences. The originality of this study lies in its integration of affective and cognitive trust within a hybrid service framework, demonstrating the paradoxical but complementary nature of trust in digital versus human postal delivery.
DOI: 10.66635/jgxns532
Institution: Goa University
Language: English
Subfield: Marketing
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7208833722