IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/orisre/v22y2011i3p640-659.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Putting Yourself in the Picture: An Evaluation of Virtual Model Technology as an Online Shopping Tool

Author

Listed:
  • Stephen P. Smith

    (Department of Accounting and Finance, Monash University, Victoria 3800, Australia, and Department of Information Systems, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia)

  • Robert B. Johnston

    (Centre for Innovation, Technology and Organisation, School of Business, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland)

  • Steve Howard

    (Department of Information Systems, The University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia)

Abstract

The electronic gulf between shoppers and products makes evaluating a physical product on offer at an e-store a potentially problematic activity. We propose that the outcome of the product evaluation task is determined by the fit between the type of information provided and the type of information sought by the consumer and that this, in turn, influences a consumer's attitude toward an e-store. An experiment to compare the impact of one type of advanced evaluation support technology, the virtual model, with a more basic online catalog, is then described. Results indicate that virtual models are potentially valuable when a customer is concerned with self-image and considerably less valuable when concerned with functionality. In more general terms, variation in end-user attitudes toward the object of the task (evaluative attitude) influenced how informed consumers felt about a product when using different technologies. Feeling informed, in turn, had a strong effect on consumer attitudes toward the store. Our results highlight two important issues for online stores: (1) a consumer's information requirements depend on his or her attitude to a product rather than product attributes; and (2) meeting or not meeting these information requirements affects perceptions of the store. Business success in this context therefore appears to hinge on addressing the specific functional and image-related information needs of customers rather than simply providing more interactivity or technical functionality.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen P. Smith & Robert B. Johnston & Steve Howard, 2011. "Putting Yourself in the Picture: An Evaluation of Virtual Model Technology as an Online Shopping Tool," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 22(3), pages 640-659, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:orisre:v:22:y:2011:i:3:p:640-659
    DOI: 10.1287/isre.1090.0279
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/isre.1090.0279
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/isre.1090.0279?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fitzsimons, Gavan J, 2000. "Consumer Response to Stockouts," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 27(2), pages 249-266, September.
    2. Folkes, Valerie S, 1984. "Consumer Reactions to Product Failure: An Attributional Approach," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 10(4), pages 398-409, March.
    3. Bearden, William O & Netemeyer, Richard G & Teel, Jesse E, 1989. "Measurement of Consumer Susceptibility to Interpersonal Influence," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 15(4), pages 473-481, March.
    4. Herr, Paul M & Kardes, Frank R & Kim, John, 1991. "Effects of Word-of-Mouth and Product-Attribute Information on Persuasion: An Accessibility-Diagnosticity Perspective," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 17(4), pages 454-462, March.
    5. Nelson, Phillip, 1970. "Information and Consumer Behavior," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 78(2), pages 311-329, March-Apr.
    6. Park, C Whan & Lessig, V Parker, 1981. "Familiarity and Its Impact on Consumer Decision Biases and Heuristics," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 8(2), pages 223-230, September.
    7. George A. Akerlof, 1970. "The Market for "Lemons": Quality Uncertainty and the Market Mechanism," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 84(3), pages 488-500.
    8. Folkes, Valerie S, 1988. "Recent Attribution Research in Consumer Behavior: A Review and New Directions," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 14(4), pages 548-565, March.
    9. Jacoby, Jacob & Szybillo, George J & Berning, Carol Kohn, 1976. "Time and Consumer Behavior: An Interdisciplinary Overview," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 2(4), pages 320-339, March.
    10. Oliver, Richard L, 1993. "Cognitive, Affective, and Attribute BAses of the Satisfaction Response," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 20(3), pages 418-430, December.
    11. John Hulland, 1999. "Use of partial least squares (PLS) in strategic management research: a review of four recent studies," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(2), pages 195-204, February.
    12. Forsythe, Sandra M. & Shi, Bo, 2003. "Consumer patronage and risk perceptions in Internet shopping," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 56(11), pages 867-875, November.
    13. Iris Vessey & Dennis Galletta, 1991. "Cognitive Fit: An Empirical Study of Information Acquisition," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 2(1), pages 63-84, March.
    14. Gerald Häubl & Valerie Trifts, 2000. "Consumer Decision Making in Online Shopping Environments: The Effects of Interactive Decision Aids," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 19(1), pages 4-21, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Kwansoo Kim & Sang-Yong Tom Lee & Robert J. Kauffman, 2023. "Social informedness and investor sentiment in the GameStop short squeeze," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 33(1), pages 1-24, December.
    2. Li, Manning & Mao, Jiye, 2015. "Hedonic or utilitarian? Exploring the impact of communication style alignment on user's perception of virtual health advisory services," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 229-243.
    3. Bhatnagar, Amit & Papatla, Purushottam, 2019. "Do habits influence the types of information that smartphone shoppers seek?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 89-98.
    4. Zhang, Tao & Li, Gang & Tayi, Giri Kumar, 2023. "A strategic analysis of virtual showrooms deployment in online retail platforms," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    5. Bryan Hochstein & Willy Bolander & Ronald Goldsmith & Christopher R. Plouffe, 2019. "Adapting influence approaches to informed consumers in high-involvement purchases: are salespeople really doomed?," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 118-137, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mark Heitmann & Andreas Herrmann, 2007. "Die Zufriedenheit mit dem Entscheidungsprozess als Determinante der Kundenbindung," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 59(5), pages 530-566, August.
    2. Chen, Jie & Teng, Lefa & Yu, Ying & Yu, Xueer, 2016. "The effect of online information sources on purchase intentions between consumers with high and low susceptibility to informational influence," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 467-475.
    3. Arora, Swapan Deep & Chakraborty, Anirban, 2021. "Intellectual structure of consumer complaining behavior (CCB) research: A bibliometric analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 60-74.
    4. Marleen Hermans & Néomie Raassens & Kathleen Cleeren, 2024. "What is the impact of a conflict delisting on firm value? An investigation of the role of conflict and firm characteristics," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 52(1), pages 240-259, January.
    5. Hsiu-Hui Chang & Wenchang Fang, 2011. "The effects of shopping value on retail outcomes: a comparison between department stores and hypermarkets," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(14), pages 2249-2263, April.
    6. Michael Scholz & Verena Dorner, 2013. "The Recipe for the Perfect Review?," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 5(3), pages 141-151, June.
    7. Ho, Edward & Kowatsch, Tobias & Ilic, Alexander, 2014. "The Sales Velocity Effect on Retailing," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 237-256.
    8. Jiuchang Wei & Zhe Ouyang & Haipeng (Allan) Chen, 2017. "Well Known or Well Liked? The Effects of Corporate Reputation on Firm Value at the Onset of a Corporate Crisis," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(10), pages 2103-2120, October.
    9. Yili (Kevin) Hong & Paul A. Pavlou, 2014. "Product Fit Uncertainty in Online Markets: Nature, Effects, and Antecedents," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 25(2), pages 328-344, June.
    10. Rodríguez, Elsa Mirta M. & Lacaze, María Victoria & Lupín, Beatriz, 2007. "Willingness to pay for organic food in Argentina: evidence from a consumer survey," Nülan. Deposited Documents 1300, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Sociales, Centro de Documentación.
    11. Gavan J. Fitzsimons & Donald R. Lehmann, 2004. "Reactance to Recommendations: When Unsolicited Advice Yields Contrary Responses," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(1), pages 82-94, September.
    12. Marco Costanigro & Yuko Onozaka, 2020. "A Belief‐Preference Model of Choice for Experience and Credence Goods," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 71(1), pages 70-95, February.
    13. Arai, Yoichi & Ichimura, Hidehiko & Kawaguchi, Daiji, 2015. "The educational upgrading of Japanese youth, 1982–2007: Are all Japanese youth ready for structural reforms?," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 37(C), pages 100-126.
    14. Fabienne Chameroy & Jean-Louis Chandon, 2011. "Are All Labels Ethical? [Les labels sont-ils tous éthiques ?]," Post-Print hal-02092068, HAL.
    15. Bester, Helmut & Ouyang, Yaofu, 2018. "Optimal procurement of a credence good under limited liability," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 96-129.
    16. Charity, Nabwire Ephamia Juma, 2016. "Economic Analysis Of Consumers’ Awareness And Willingness To Pay For Geographical Indicators And Other Quality Attributes Of Honey In Kenya," Research Theses 265574, Collaborative Masters Program in Agricultural and Applied Economics.
    17. repec:dgr:rugsom:04f04 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Haucap, Justus, 2017. "The rule of law and the emergence of market exchange: A new institutional economic perspective," DICE Discussion Papers 276, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).
    19. Judy E. Scott & Dawn G. Gregg & Jae Hoon Choi, 2015. "Lemon complaints: When online auctions go sour," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 177-191, February.
    20. Carly Trachtman & Molly Dop & Sofia Villas-Boas, 2019. "Understanding the Influence of Brand Information in Online Purchase Decisions for Health Products," Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics, in: Francisco J. Martínez-López & Juan Carlos Gázquez-Abad & Anne Roggeveen (ed.), Advances in National Brand and Private Label Marketing, pages 197-204, Springer.
    21. Khim-Yong Goh & Cheng-Suang Heng & Zhijie Lin, 2013. "Social Media Brand Community and Consumer Behavior: Quantifying the Relative Impact of User- and Marketer-Generated Content," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 24(1), pages 88-107, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:inm:orisre:v:22:y:2011:i:3:p:640-659. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.