'Trust Is a Crucial Factor in the Development of a Digital Economy'

Eduard Tunkevichus enjoys working with data and learning new things, particularly innovative research and analysis methods. In this interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, he discusses the insights he gained while writing his dissertation, the difference between applied and academic research in marketing, and how AI helped him salvage his mandarin houseplant.

How I Started in Science

To begin mastering a profession, one needs an inspiring role model. My academic supervisor, Vera Rebiazina, was the one who introduced me to the world of academia. During my second and third years of bachelor's studies, she began involving me in research while teaching me how to analyse data and write scientific papers. To be honest, I hadn’t had a strong inclination toward scientific research before that, but I had a natural curiosity and a genuine interest in learning new things such as data analysis.

The Subject of My Research

My goal is to study how consumer trust is formed when using digital services and how it can be strengthened in Russia.

I am currently working on my PhD dissertation and plan to defend it next year. I have published several papers addressing different aspects of my research.

As part of my dissertation, I conducted an empirical study aimed at understanding the principles behind consumer trust formation. To date, I have collected data from over a thousand respondents across Russian regions and different age groups. This approach ensures a representative sample, which is essential for obtaining reliable results. At the same time, the academic world offers numerous methods for enriching one's research findings by synthesising results from multiple other studies. In particular, meta-analysis is a method which, in my opinion, many early-career researchers should engage with from the very start of their dissertation work. As part of my research, a meta-analysis allowed me to test hypotheses about the determinants of consumer trust using a sample of over 24,000 respondents, to formulate my hypotheses, and to develop a model.

Why I Became Interested in Trust

I have always been interested in understanding how people think and what influences the decisions they make. In one way or another, trust is an important factor that affects us both as individuals and as consumers. My research examines the factors that contribute to consumer trust in a brand and explores ways to strengthen it. This topic is both interesting and significant, as many researchers recognise trust as a crucial factor in the development of a digital economy.

Last year, at the World Economic Forum, there was a discussion about the current crisis of trust—both in government and among people. It was framed primarily as a social issue, but it also translates into a marketing challenge: when the overall trust in society is low, every other level of trust is undermined as well.

I can’t say that studying trust has made me a more trusting person. However, it is clear that the more we use digital services, the more we tend to trust them.

New Insights I Gained

An important factor is our perceived control over the personal information we share with a company. In studying its effect on trust, I found that perceived control does not influence trust among consumers aged 18 to 30, as opposed to those over 40. This indicates a behavioural difference between age groups, which is also supported by the theory of generations.

Another finding was that the perceived effectiveness of digital regulation can also influence the level of trust among users of digital services. At the same time, the effects of perceived regulatory effectiveness and the actual regulatory environment on consumer trust are different—though I won’t give away any spoilers, as the findings are yet to be published.

Digital Services Mentioned by Respondents

In my survey, I ask respondents to describe the digital service they most recently used, as this draws on their freshest memories and ensures a diversity of responses. Two years ago, respondents frequently mentioned streaming services like Netflix and Spotify. Today, there are more mentions of online marketplaces, such as OZON or Wildberries.

What I Take Pride In

I conducted a study unrelated to the topic of trust, which required me to learn how to parse social media user data. I parsed 24,000 user profiles and analysed their interests. These users participated in sharing services—kicksharing, clothing sharing, housing sharing, and carsharing. My paper on this study won first place in the 2022 Student Research Paper Competition in the category of Best Research Paper in Management by Master’s Students and Graduates.

Today, I am proud that in the second year of my doctoral programme, I have met all requirements for the preliminary defence and have already completed the draft of my dissertation.

I am also proud of our students. Together with my academic supervisor, I teach a Marketing Research course in which we train third-year bachelor's students in qualitative and quantitative research methods. By the end of our course, students are able to apply advanced analytical methods that are often unfamiliar even to experienced professionals. I take this opportunity to send my greetings to the students of the Marketing and Market Analysis programme!

Why Working on My Dissertation Has Been Challenging

For me, conducting research—especially on a topic that interests me—has never been difficult or stressful. I truly enjoy working with data. I designed a questionnaire, collected responses, and analysed the results.

However, other aspects of writing my PhD dissertation proved more challenging, as I had to perform tasks I didn’t particularly enjoy—such as conducting extensive literature reviews and sifting through previous research. I pushed myself to explore the origins of trust, tracing back to the works of Plato and Homer (yes, I really started that far back).

It was challenging—ancient authors did not write about trust directly, but their works do contain references to it. Although of course, contemporary authors are more relevant to my research.

If I Hadn't Become a Scientist

I would have become a researcher. Most likely, I would have opted for in-house research rather than working for an agency, as it offers more room for initiative and creativity. After all, research isn’t just about numbers and statistics—it also requires imaginative thinking. The most fascinating area of research for me is the digital sphere.

Besides academic research, many companies—such as GfK, Ipsos, and Mediascope—conduct management studies. These organisations bring extensive expertise and rigorous standards to marketing research. They offer valuable learning opportunities and the chance to engage in exciting projects.

On Applied and Academic Research

The challenge with academic research is that it tends to be broad, as science is not intended to focus on specific products. As a result, its findings are often less directly applicable in practice. Conversely, applied research conducted by companies may not always be relevant to scientists. For example, analysing the market of brake systems and factors influencing consumers’ choice of a particular brand offers little scientific insight.

My Digital Service of Choice

Definitely ChatGPT. Initially, I was quite sceptical about it (and to be fair, I still have some reservations). It was my wife who encouraged me to use it more actively—she is also a doctoral student and works at HSE University, where her focus is on advancing digital services and artificial intelligence.

ChatGPT is a highly useful tool for learning. For example, I struggled with learning meta-analysis for a long time because I could not find a clear explanation anywhere. ChatGPT helped me master this method—in terms of usage and interpreting results—in just one day. It also greatly helps with preparing macros and other tools to simplify tasks.

However, I believe AI services can pose risks to scientists and especially to children. Frequent use of AI tools can lead to excessive trust and overreliance on them. In my opinion, it’s best not to rely on them too heavily, as doing so may cause you to lose important skills. AI is useful as a supplementary tool.

Also, ChatGPT helped me salvage our beautiful mandarin houseplant—and hopefully, it will keep thriving. It was dying because the wild part of the plant began to overgrow and suppress the grafted portion. My own experience was not enough to figure out what the problem was. Now, AI advises me on how to care for all kinds of houseplants.

Potentially Interesting New Research Topic for Me

Most likely, it will not be related to artificial intelligence. I see a parallel with big data here: it was widely written about and discussed before the excitement eventually faded. Sooner or later, interest in artificial intelligence will likely fade as well—perhaps with AI becoming just a routine part of everyday life.

Researching telemedicine appears more promising to me—it's an area that requires a great deal of trust in practitioners, data storage systems, and more.

Whether I Have Experienced Burnout

No. I understand that I need to complete my dissertation by a specific deadline. Additionally, having a genuine interest in the topic reduces the risk of burnout. That said, to be honest, after more than 200 pages, I felt like I was starting to lose steam. Nevertheless, having a clear goal and deadline makes it easier to avoid burnout.

My Interests besides Science

Reading, sports—although I haven’t had much time for sports lately due to focusing on my dissertation. Computer games. And also caring for the many beautiful houseplants my dear wife has gifted me.

What Have You Been Reading or Watching Lately?

Science Fictions by Stuart Ritchie. This book offers a critical analysis of how modern science sometimes strays from its ideals. Ritchie reveals how data falsification, bias, negligence, and excessive hype around scientific discoveries undermine trust in science. He provides specific examples from psychology, medicine, and other fields to explain why even peer-reviewed publications can be unreliable and suggests ways to address systemic problems in scientific practice.

Advice for Aspiring Scientists

First, avoid procrastination. Second, be clear about why you want to pursue a doctoral programme—whether it is for an academic career, building a personal brand, or other personal ambitions. If you want to enrol in a doctoral programme at HSE University, be prepared to work hard—on scientific publications, your dissertation, and mastering many new theories and research methods. If you combine doctoral studies with work, you need to understand that your workload will likely be heavy, and you’ll sometimes have to prioritise your commitments.

If you are already enrolled in a doctoral programme, I highly recommend starting to write papers from your first year. Publishing scientific papers is perhaps the most challenging task doctoral students face. Of course, the importance of a good academic supervisor cannot be overstated: they are your guide who will support you throughout your doctoral studies and help you navigate the specifics of the academic world. Therefore, I strongly recommend taking a very careful and responsible approach when choosing your academic supervisor. And from the very beginning, you need to think over your publication and defence strategy, including specific key deadlines.

My Favourite Place in Moscow

Strogino, because I live there, and there’s a nearby body of water where I can go SUP surfing. And in winter, I love snowboarding in Krylatsky Hills.