Drivers and Impediments of Consumer Online Information Search: Self-controlled versus Agent-assisted Search

Abstract

This research investigates drivers of consumer’s online search activity. Traditional constructs relevant in offline information search (including perceived product risk, purchase involvement and product knowledge) are tested for an online environment on the basis of a structural equation model. In addition, new constructs impacting online search, namely privacy concerns and flow, are analysed. A major contribution of this research is the explicit distinction of consumers’ preference for agent-assisted search versus self-controlled search forms. The analysis is based on 116 subjects that were observed in their search behavior during a ‘real-world’ shopping trip for cameras.

Keywords: online shopping, agents, information search, decision-support