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<p>In platform-based B2B e-commerce, third-party certification seals serve as critical trust-building mechanisms, while platforms utilize search rankings to incentivize manufacturer participation. Yet empirical evidence remains limited regarding both the performance impact of these seals and the mediating role of search rankings. This study categorizes third-party seals into three types—production capability, platform warranty, and service quality seals—and tests hypotheses drawn from signaling theory using data from China’s leading B2B platform, 1688.com. Results indicate that platform warranty and service quality seals are positively and significantly associated with manufacturer performance, with service quality seals demonstrating the strongest effect. Search rankings statistically mediate this relationship, confirming their role as an effective incentive mechanism. Further analysis reveals a contingent logic of seal effectiveness: impacts vary systematically by firm characteristics, follow an evolutionary pattern across a firm’s operational lifecycle on the platform, and are moderated by industry factors. This research deepens our understanding of the utility of third-party seals and the role of search result rankings in B2B e-markets, offering valuable management insights for both manufacturing firms and B2B platforms.</p>

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Third-party seals and manufacturing firm performance in platform-based B2B e-commerce markets: the mediating role of search result ranking

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月29日

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  • Chengde Zheng,
  • Siyu Zheng,
  • Feiyan Lu,
  • Yuanwei Wang,
  • Chunyuan Dao

摘要

In platform-based B2B e-commerce, third-party certification seals serve as critical trust-building mechanisms, while platforms utilize search rankings to incentivize manufacturer participation. Yet empirical evidence remains limited regarding both the performance impact of these seals and the mediating role of search rankings. This study categorizes third-party seals into three types—production capability, platform warranty, and service quality seals—and tests hypotheses drawn from signaling theory using data from China’s leading B2B platform, 1688.com. Results indicate that platform warranty and service quality seals are positively and significantly associated with manufacturer performance, with service quality seals demonstrating the strongest effect. Search rankings statistically mediate this relationship, confirming their role as an effective incentive mechanism. Further analysis reveals a contingent logic of seal effectiveness: impacts vary systematically by firm characteristics, follow an evolutionary pattern across a firm’s operational lifecycle on the platform, and are moderated by industry factors. This research deepens our understanding of the utility of third-party seals and the role of search result rankings in B2B e-markets, offering valuable management insights for both manufacturing firms and B2B platforms.