EconPapers    
Economics at your fingertips  
 

Individual differences in consumer information search for services: A multiple mediation study

Utkarsh,

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2017, vol. 37, issue C, 33-42

Abstract: The study examines the role of individual differences in the information search behaviour of consumers for experience services. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the quantitative data obtained from the 268 consumers selected for a cross-sectional survey in a major northern city of India. Results revealed that consumers’ optimum stimulation levels are positively related to their self-confidence and motivation to search and subsequently have a significant indirect effect on their information search efforts. Consumer self-confidence and motivation to search mediate the relationship between the optimum stimulation level and search effort. The study offers insights into the role of consumers’ individual differences in information search. Consumers engaged in variety-seeking behaviour are more confident in their decision making and search for abundant information before buying a service. Thus, marketers should attempt to provide extensive and varying information to such consumers.

Keywords: Individual differences; Information search; Services; Self-confidence; Optimum stimulation level; Service consumers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698916302909
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:joreco:v:37:y:2017:i:c:p:33-42

DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2017.02.015

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services is currently edited by Harry Timmermans

More articles in Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().

 
Page updated 2025-03-19
Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:37:y:2017:i:c:p:33-42