TY - JOUR
T1 - Parametric search engines
T2 - What makes them effective when shopping online for differentiated products?
AU - Kamis, Arnold A.
AU - Stohr, Edward A.
PY - 2006/10
Y1 - 2006/10
N2 - Many online retailers try to assist consumers via parametric search engines (PSEs), i.e., attribute-based search engines. The objective of this study is to model the effectiveness of four PSEs in using search effort and domain knowledge to increase decision quality, decision confidence, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. Our model comprises a set of behavioral decision theory antecedents to the technology acceptance model. We tested users with four PSEs in a laboratory experiment and modeled the results with partial least squares (PLS) analysis. The main result of this paper is a PLS model showing that the effects of search effort and domain knowledge are mediated through decision quality and decision confidence to impact perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. The model explains the variance in decision quality (17.3%), decision confidence (28.3%) and perceived usefulness (27.0%). Overall, this study shows that input, process and outcome variables are important for predicting the effectiveness of PSEs. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
AB - Many online retailers try to assist consumers via parametric search engines (PSEs), i.e., attribute-based search engines. The objective of this study is to model the effectiveness of four PSEs in using search effort and domain knowledge to increase decision quality, decision confidence, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. Our model comprises a set of behavioral decision theory antecedents to the technology acceptance model. We tested users with four PSEs in a laboratory experiment and modeled the results with partial least squares (PLS) analysis. The main result of this paper is a PLS model showing that the effects of search effort and domain knowledge are mediated through decision quality and decision confidence to impact perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. The model explains the variance in decision quality (17.3%), decision confidence (28.3%) and perceived usefulness (27.0%). Overall, this study shows that input, process and outcome variables are important for predicting the effectiveness of PSEs. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
KW - Decision confidence
KW - Decision quality
KW - Domain knowledge
KW - Online shopping
KW - Parametric search engine
KW - Partial least squares
KW - Perceived ease of use
KW - Perceived usefulness
KW - Search effort
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33750078129&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33750078129&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.im.2006.08.006
DO - 10.1016/j.im.2006.08.006
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33750078129
SN - 0378-7206
VL - 43
SP - 904
EP - 918
JO - Information and Management
JF - Information and Management
IS - 7
ER -