The Paradox of Trust in Digital vs. Human-Delivered Postal Services: A Behavioural Experiment on Customer Satisfaction in Goa’s Hybrid Service Model
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66635/jgxns532Keywords:
Trust, Customer Satisfaction, Affective Trust, Cognitive Trust, Hybrid Service Model, Postal Services, Digital Transformation, Age, Technological Savviness, Behavioral ExperimentAbstract
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.
References
1.Achrekar, G. C. (2022). Sustainable coastal tourism in Goa: destination problems and management options. Revista de turism-studii și cercetări în turism, (33).
2.Ahmed, J. U., Ahmed, A., Faroque, A. R., & Fatema, K. (2024). Papers N Parcels: Fill the gap by an app–teenager created initiatives in courier service. Journal of Information Technology Teaching Cases, 14(1), 13-17.
3.Anand, A. (2023). Challenges and opportunities of e-commerce in India. International Journal of Scientific Multidisciplinary Research, 1(2), 69-72.
4.Angelopoulos, S., Bendoly, E., Fransoo, J. C., Hoberg, K., Ou, C., & Tenhiälä, A. (2023). Digital transformation in operations management: Fundamental change through agency reversal. Journal of Operations Management, 69(6), 876-889.
5.Asdecker, B. (2021). Building the E-commerce supply chain of the future: what influences consumer acceptance of alternative places of delivery on the last-mile. Logistics, 5(4), 90.
6.Aziz, Z. A., Nik Hussin, N. S., Mukhtar, D., Nordin, N., & Nordin, N. (2025). Factors Influencing the Service Quality for Customer Satisfaction on Parcel Service Safety in the Postal and Courier Industry: Analysis Using Structural Equation Modelling. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 33(2).
7.Bachofner, M., Lemardelé, C., Estrada, M., & Pagès, L. (2022). City logistics: Challenges and opportunities for technology providers. Journal of urban mobility, 2, 100020.
8.Betrand, C. U., Onukwugha, C. G., Ofoegbu, C. I., Aliche, O. B., & Kelechi, D. A. (2024). Logistics Web Application for the Tracking of Parcels. International Journal, 10(1), 11-17.
9.Boom-Cárcamo, E., Molina-Romero, S., Galindo-Angulo, C., & del Mar Restrepo, M. (2024). Barriers and strategies for digital marketing and smart delivery in urban courier companies in developing countries. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 15(4), 19203-19232.
10.Cheah, J. H., Nitzl, C., Roldán, J., Cepeda-Carrion, G., & Gudergan, S. P. (2021). A primer on the conditional mediation analysis in PLS-SEM. The data base for advances in information systems, 52, 43-100.
11.Chen, H., Li, W., Lyu, T., & Zheng, X. (2021). Understanding people's participation in online charities: a dual-process approach of trust and empathic concern. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 121(7), 1642-1663.
12.Chotigo, J., & Kadono, Y. (2021). Comparative analysis of key factors encouraging food delivery app adoption before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. Sustainability, 13(8), 4088.
13.Dana, L. M., Hart, E., McAleese, A., Bastable, A., & Pettigrew, S. (2021). Factors associated with ordering food via online meal ordering services. Public Health Nutrition, 24(17), 5704-5709.
14.Eposi, E. M., & Potgieter, M. (2021). Service Quality strategy challenges for managers and frontline employees in the South African Post Office in the North West Province. International Journal of Financial Research, 12(5), 89-103.
15.Filipe, P., Mataloto, B., & Coutinho, C. (2022, June). loT system for the validation of conditions in shipping couriers. In 2022 IEEE 28th International Conference on Engineering, Technology and Innovation (ICE/ITMC) & 31st International Association For Management of Technology (IAMOT) Joint Conference (pp. 1-9). IEEE.
16.Findsrud, R., & Tronvoll, B. (2024). Human-Technology Symbiosis in Service: Insights from Dual-Process Theory. In Humane Autonomous Technology: Re-thinking Experience with and in Intelligent Systems (pp. 157-177). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
17.Garg, A. (2023). Factors affecting digital transformation in logistic firms. Journal of Informatics Education and Research, 3(2).
18.Gerelmaa, B., Tsolmon, T., & Khongorzul, G. (2022). The effect of customer trust on reuse intention in the Mongolian postal delivery service. International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research-MIYR, 2(1), 36-52.
19.Gore, S., Borde, N., & Desai, P. H. (2023). Adaptive mode of planning and development: A case of Goa, India. Revista Turismo & Desenvolvimento (RT&D)/Journal of Tourism & Development, (41).
20.Green, D., Preger, N., & Smith, H. (2025). Trusting the postman: prosecuting theft and managing sickness in the British Post Office, c. 1860–1910. Social History, 50(1), 85-109.
21.Hamidin, D., & Hendrayati, H. (2022, July). Courier Service Application: Courier Service Quality and Customer Loyalty Mediated by Customer Experience and Customer Satisfaction. In 6th Global Conference on Business, Management, and Entrepreneurship (GCBME 2021) (pp. 286-292). Atlantis Press.
22.Hill, J., Ogle, K., Santen, S. A., Gottlieb, M., & Artino Jr, A. R. (2022). Educator's blueprint: a how‐to guide for survey design. AEM education and training, 6(4), e10796.
23.Howard, M. C., Boudreaux, M., & Oglesby, M. (2024). Can Harman’s single-factor test reliably distinguish between research designs? Not in published management studies. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 33(6), 790-804.
24.Iliyasu, R., & Etikan, I. (2021). Comparison of quota sampling and stratified random sampling. Biom. Biostat. Int. J. Rev, 10(1), 24-27.
25.Izzah, N., Dilaila, F., & Yao, L. (2021, May). The growth of reliance towards courier services through e-business verified during COVID-19: Malaysia. In Journal of Physics: Conference Series (Vol. 1874, No. 1, p. 012041). IOP Publishing.
26.Jintana, J., Sopadang, A., & Ramingwong, S. (2021). Idea selection of new service for courier business: The opportunity of data analytics. International Journal of Engineering Business Management, 13, 18479790211042191.
27.Kern, J. (2021). The digital transformation of logistics: A review about technologies and their implementation status. The digital transformation of logistics: Demystifying impacts of the fourth industrial revolution, 361-403.
28.Kidwai, A. G., & Maqbool, A. (2024). Evaluating Consumer Preferences: India Post vs Private Courier Services in the Central Region of Uttar Pradesh. CINEFORUM, 64(4), 36-51.
29.Kosamu, M., & Mwanza, B. G. M. (2025). Investigating the Effect of Service Quality on Customer Behaviour in Courier Service Industry in Lusaka. African Journal of Commercial Studies, 6(2), 106-118.
30.Leon, S., Chen, C., & Ratcliffe, A. (2023). Consumers’ perceptions of last mile drone delivery. International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, 26(3), 345-364.
31.Li, F., Wei, X., Wang, C., Zhang, C., Yu, G., Yang, Y., & Liu, Y. (2025). How Do Users Perceive AI? A Dual-Process Perspective on Enhancement and Replacement. Telematics and Informatics Reports, 100227.
32.Ma, H., Gottfredson O'Shea, N., Kieu, T., Rohde, J. A., Hall, M. G., Brewer, N. T., & Noar, S. M. (2024). Examining the longitudinal relationship between perceived and actual message effectiveness: a randomized trial. Health communication, 39(8), 1510-1519.
33.Makwana, D., Engineer, P., Dabhi, A., & Chudasama, H. (2023). Sampling methods in research: A review. International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development, 7(3), 762-768.
34.Marcysiak, A. (2021). Customer service quality management on the courier services market. Entrepreneurship and sustainability issues, 9(1), 190.
35.Marshall, P. (2022). Scandal at the post office: The intersection of law, ethics and politics. Digital Evidence & Elec. Signature L. Rev., 19, 12.
36.McGuire, M. R., & Renaud, K. (2023). Harm, injustice & technology: Reflections on the UK's subpostmasters’ case. The Howard Journal of Crime and Justice, 62(4), 441-461.
37.Miao, M., Jalees, T., Zaman, S. I., Khan, S., Hanif, N. U. A., & Javed, M. K. (2022). The influence of e-customer satisfaction, e-trust and perceived value on consumer's repurchase intention in B2C e-commerce segment. Asia pacific journal of marketing and logistics, 34(10), 2184-2206.
38.Mujianto, M., Hartoyo, H., Nurmalina, R., & Yusuf, E. Z. (2023). The unraveling loyalty model of traditional retail to suppliers for business sustainability in the digital transformation era: Insight from MSMEs in Indonesia. Sustainability, 15(3), 2827.
39.Nemčok, M., & Peltoniemi, J. (2023). Distance and trust: an examination of the two opposing factors impacting adoption of postal voting among citizens living abroad. Political Behavior, 45(2), 419-443.
40.Nguyen, M. H., & Nguyen, D. H. (2025). Transparent and traceable food supply chains: Exploring consumers’ value co-creation with quality suppliers through trust and relationship commitment. Journal of International Food & Agribusiness Marketing, 1-26.
41.Novitasari, N., & Anwar, N. (2022). Enhanced technology for logistics courier delivery using RFID label to minimize processing time. JOIV: International Journal on Informatics Visualization, 6(3), 610-617.
42.Nwobi, F. N., & Akanno, F. C. (2021). Power comparison of ANOVA and Kruskal–Wallis tests when error assumptions are violated. Metodoloski Zvezki, 18(2), 53-71.
43.Obara, S. A. O., Mboya, T., Maendo, D., & Owino, E. (2025). Distribution Strategies, Tracking Technology and Quality Service Delivery in Kenya’s Courier Sector. European Journal of Business and Management Research, 10(4), 46-60.
44.Oetama, S., Susanto, H., & Rizwannur, W. (2024). Effect Of Online Tracking System And Delivery Timeliness On Customer Satisfaction (Case Study On J & T Express Sampit). International Journal of Science, Technology & Management, 5(4), 962-969.
45.Oommen, S., & Mathew, G. (2022). Courier Service demand during COVID–19 Pandemic in India. In Proceedings of the National Conference on Emerging Computer Applications (NCECA) (Vol. 4, No. 1, p. 171).
46.Pandey, R., Ganatra, V., Sonawane, H., Nur Binti Mohd Fauzi, F., Mui Hung Kee, D., Hafizah Binti Mohd Yasir, N., ... & Afeza Azila Binti Md Zamri, N. (2021). The impact of global trend on courier service and consumer satisfaction: A Study of DHL. International Journal of Tourism and Hospitality in Asia Pasific, 4(1), 64-72.
47.Parameswar, N., & Dhir, S. (2022). Delhivery: Fulfilling e-commerce delivery. Asian Journal of Management Cases, 19(2), 93-105.
48.Ponnusamy, D., & Ramasamy, C. (2024). Analysis of Customer Satisfaction towards Customer Loyalty of Courier Service Industry among UTHM Students. Research in Management of Technology and Business, 5(1), 921-936.
49.Prapinit, P., Kafi, A., Osman, N. H., & Melan, M. (2024). IoT in Courier Services: Impact on Customer Satisfaction and Supply Chain Sustainability. International Journal of Sustainable Development & Planning, 19(2).
50.Ranjan, K. R. (2023). Emerging e-commerce trends in India: Opportunities and challenges. International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research, 5(1).
51.Rharoubi, I., & Talmenssour, K. (2022). Understanding the role of supply chain digitalization in the quality of buyer-supplier relationship: case studies of Moroccan companies. Revue Française d'Economie et de Gestion, 3(7)
52.Rosenberg, L. N., Balouka, N., Herer, Y. T., Dani, E., Gasparin, P., Dobers, K., ... & van Uden, S. (2021). Introducing the shared micro-depot network for last-mile logistics. Sustainability, 13(4), 2067.
53.Sachdeva, M., Lehal, R., Gupta, S., & Gupta, S. (2023). Influence of contextual factors on investment decision-making: a fuzzy-AHP approach. Journal of Asia Business Studies, 17(1), 108-128.
54.Sakas, D. P., Kamperos, I. D. G., & Terzi, M. C. (2022). The long-term risk familiarity effect on courier services’ digital branding during the COVID-19 crisis. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 17(4), 1655-1684.
55.Sakthivel, V., Prakash, P., & Prabu, P. (2024). Enhancing Transparency and Trust in Agrifood Supply Chains through Novel Blockchain-based Architecture. KSII Transactions on Internet & Information Systems, 18(7).
56.Selim, N. I. I. B., Zailani, S., Aziz, A. A., & Rahman, M. K. (2022). Halal logistic services, trust and satisfaction amongst Malaysian 3PL service providers. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 13(1), 81-99.
57.Sharma, V. P., Prakash, S., & Singh, R. (2022). What prevents sustainable last-mile delivery in industry 4.0? An analysis and decision framework. Sustainability, 14(24), 16423.
58.Sharma, V. P., Prakash, S., Singh, R., Ojha, R., & Ramtiyal, B. (2025). Strategic insights into last-mile delivery: modelling the industry 4.0 enabler for e-commerce industry. RAUSP Management Journal.
59.Singh, R., Singh, V. P., Rabby, F., Bansal, R., & Gupta, N. K. (2025). The Road to Sustainable Tourism: Financial Mechanisms for Green Project Development. In Regenerative Tourism for Social Development (pp. 235-254). IGI Global Scientific Publishing.
60.Spatharioti, S. E., Rothschild, D. M., Goldstein, D. G., & Hofman, J. M. (2023). Comparing traditional and llm-based search for consumer choice: A randomized experiment. arXiv preprint arXiv:2307.03744.
61.Stoner, J. L., Felix, R., & Stadler Blank, A. (2023). Best practices for implementing experimental research methods. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 47(4), 1579-1595.
62.Suguna, M., Shah, B., Raj, S. K., & Suresh, M. (2022). A study on the influential factors of the last mile delivery projects during Covid-19 era. Operations Management Research, 15(1), 399-412.
63.Sund, K. J., & Anson, J. (2021). The decline of mail: postal industry decision-makers’ interpretations in the aftermath of the financial crisis. Entreprises et histoire, 105(4), 65-77.
64.Tijjang, B., Junaidi, J., Nurfadhilah, N., & Putra, P. (2023). The role of brand love, trust, and commitment in fostering consumer satisfaction and loyalty. FWU Journal of Social Sciences, 17(1).
65.Tyagi, K., Pandey, N., Singh, J., & Patwal, I. (2023). Review On Real-Time Courier Tracking System. Bulletin of Mathematical Sciences (ISSN NO: 0007-4497), 46(11).
66.Vasić, N., Kilibarda, M., Andrejić, M., & Jović, S. (2021). Satisfaction is a function of users of logistics services in e-commerce. Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 33(7), 813-828.
67.Vrhovac, V., Dakić, D., Milisavljević, S., Ćelić, Đ., Stefanović, D., & Janković, M. (2024). The factors influencing user satisfaction in last-mile delivery: The structural equation modeling approach. Mathematics, 12(12), 1857.
68.Vrhovac, V., Vasić, S., Milisavljević, S., Dudić, B., Štarchoň, P., & Žižakov, M. (2023). Measuring E-commerce user experience in the last-mile delivery. Mathematics, 11(6), 1482.
69.Wass, H., Peltoniemi, J., Weide, M., & Nemčok, M. (2021). Signed, sealed, and delivered with trust: Non-resident citizens’ experiences of newly adopted postal voting. Frontiers in Political Science, 3, 692396.
70.Winata, F., & McLafferty, S. (2025). 43. Survey and questionnaire methods. The Field Guide to Mixing Social and Biophysical Methods in Environmental Research, 577.
71.XIANGUANG, W., DAN, H., LINGLING, X., & Xiaoyan, B. I. (2025). Service Quality and Customers Trust Towards Crafting Business Strategy for Courier Service Company. Journal of Business and Management Studies, 7(1), 62-80.
72.Yadav, R. S., & Kalluru, S. R. (2024). Principal–agent trust and adoption of digital financial services: Evidence from India. Economic Notes, 53(3), e12247.
73.Yuen, K. F., Cai, L., Lim, Y. G., & Wang, X. (2022). Consumer acceptance of autonomous delivery robots for last-mile delivery: Technological and health perspectives. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 953370.
74.Zaman, T. (2021). An efficient exponential estimator of the mean under stratified random sampling. Mathematical Population Studies, 28(2), 104-121.
75.Zhu, X., Cai, L., Lai, P. L., Wang, X., & Ma, F. (2023). Evolution, challenges, and opportunities of transportation methods in the last-mile delivery process. Systems, 11(10), 509.
76.
