Search Outcome Variables

---

No model of external information search would be complete without consideration of the possible outcomes of an information search. Once a consumer's information search has commenced, only three outcomes are possible with regard to a problem's solution. They are: decision, abandonment and deferment with regard to the perceived problem. If a consumer makes a purchase decision, further information search becomes superfluous—excepting possible later information searches due to post-purchase cognitive dissonance. The consumer could also decide to abandon the problem and thus any further information search activity. Such a situation could occur for many reasons, including the fact that the problem may be perceived as being too hard to solve, the perceived costs of information search may be too high, or the cost of the possible problem solutions could be beyond the consumer's means. The consumer could also decide to temporarily defer the search activity to another time due to practical limitations of resources such as time or money, or for personal reasons including fatigue or lack of motivation. Other real-life reasons for the abandonment of an information search include the possibility that the problem itself may have disappeared or resolved itself.

Web searching consumers, in addition to the arrival at a preferred problem solution, may also make a decision as to their preferred purchase venue. This decision may be affected by a consumer preference for conducting face-to-face transactions in a conventional shopping environment. Alternatively, the purchase venue decision may also be influenced by a lack of off-line alternatives despite the consumer's preference. Apart from the purchase decision and venue outcomes identified above, there are other outcomes of an information search. One such outcome is a satisfaction judgment relating to the information search activity itself. Satisfaction is the end result of an individual post-consumption evaluative process in which the consumer compares the cost (economic and/or psychological) of a good, service, or activity, with the rewards obtained from its consumption (Loudon and Della Bitta, 1993). Evaluative post-consumption judgments have long been recognized as an integral part of consumer behavior (Cardozo, 1965; Festinger, 1957). At least three separate paradigms have been developed to explain the process of making satisfaction judgments. They include Expectancy-Disconfirmation Theory (which is closely allied with assimilation and contrast effects), Equity Theory, and Attribution Theory. Expectancy-Disconfirmation Theory (Oliver, 1980) suggests that an individual's judgment is based on a comparison between previously held expectations and the actual consumption experience. Equity Theory (Fisk and Coney, 1982; Mowen and Grove, 1983) is based on consideration of the equity of the exchange transaction that has taken place between the entities. Attribution Theory (Weiner, 1985; Weiner, Freize, Kukla, Reed, Rest, and Rosenbaum, 1971) concerns consumers' judgments of the reasons for the success or failure of a transaction.

In considering the application of satisfaction theory to information search activity on the Web, Expectation-Disconfirmation Theory appears to be the most appropriate paradigm for research into post-Web search satisfaction because satisfaction can be quantified by consideration of the difference between the consumer's expectations of the Web search and their perceptions of its outcome. (Oliver and DeSarbo, 1988). While the relative influence of expectation versus disconfirmation may vary between individuals, this does not affect the validity of the theory despite the minor deficiencies discussed by Spreng and Olshavsky (1993). It is here that the level of consumer involvement should be considered in relation to satisfaction, as there could be interactions between the two variables. In relation to differences in the level of involvement felt by individuals undertaking the same Web search activity, research by Mano and Oliver (1993) has shown that the level of involvement experienced by an individual does not influence satisfaction-dissatisfaction judgments, although personal involvement tends to increase the amount of "...attention and comprehension effort..." (Celsi and Olson, 1988, p. 210). This is an important finding because it suggests that the variation in involvement between individuals should not affect the satisfaction measures. In relation to a physical search of the retail-shopping environment, Titus and Everett (1996) suggest that consumers make satisfaction judgments in relation to the information search process itself. Thus, Oliver's (1980) expectation-satisfaction paradigm appears to be the most applicable to the model, as in experimental investigations it is possible to survey Web searchers before the search for the "expected usefulness" of their search and again post-search for their perceived "actual usefulness" of the search. In this way the subject's expectations of the usefulness of a Web search can be compared to their post-consumption perceived usefulness of their Web search. Such judgments of utility, which are related to judgments of relative advantage, are common during early interactions with new technologies and are instrumental to consumer adoption decisions (Rogers, 1995).

In conclusion, in relation to the outcomes of information search, it is seen as desirable to address the three "natural" search outcomes (decision, abandonment, and deferment) in the model via the purchase decision variable, and in addition to include a measure of user satisfaction.

---