A survey of 208 US Midwestern Internet users reveals, first, that the nature of Internet dhopping (IS) is a function of consumers’ domain specific IS Innovativeness, not only in regard to product purchasing (as has been previously observed) but also to visiting sites for product information. Second, IS innovativeness is positively associated with the variety of product classes shopped online, and this association is stronger with popular than with unpopular product classes. Third, the impact of IS innovativeness is in addition to, and not simply a reflection of, the positive contribution to online shopping made by the prevalence of online shopping in one’s social setting. Fourth, when IS innovativeness is uncontrolled, apparent support is found for previous contentions that online shopping is greater among those with more extensive Internet experience. However, when IS innovativeness is considered, the predictive ability of Internet experience decreases, in some cases to nonsignificance.

No abstract

This study extends the conventional wisdom concerning how a commercial website can be configured to attract online shoppers, and specifically, initial shoppers. Based on past research [Inform. Syst. Res. 13 (2002) 187] and theory [Diffusion of Innovations (1995)], a number of 'form' and 'substantive' website features were assessed as to their attractiveness to consumers of varying (a) Internet experience and (b) innovativeness. A self-administered survey was completed by a convenience sample of 363 residents of the US and Canada. A discriminant analysis confirms that two functions, generally representing form and substantive features, each discriminate between (a) high and low innovativeness (DF1) and (b) high and low Internet experience (DF2). Further, those with more Internet experience show a stronger preference for substantive features than do those with less experience. But high and low experience groups do not differ noticeably with regard to preference for form features. It was also found that, conversely, the more innovative shoppers reveal a stronger preference for form features. But high and low innovativeness groups do not differ appreciably in respect to desire for substantive features. This suggests the dynamics underlying the attraction of initial Internet users to particular shopping sites. Both theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed. q

A methodology is developed to estimate empirically the weights for a multiple‐goal objective function of Senegalese subsistence farmers. The methodology includes a farmer‐oriented goal preference survey and an application of a multidimensional scaling technique to the survey data. A comparison of model performance under the multiple‐goal objective function with a profit‐maximization objective function does not indicate that there are distinct advantages to using either function.

Forty-eight undergraduates received information about fictitious foreign countries that varied in amount (2 versus 10 statements) of favorability toward the country (positive versus negative), and the consistency of the statements in a description (consistent versus unrelated versus inconsistent). For each country, subjects indicated how much more information they would need if their task were to describe the country or simply evaluate it. More information was sought if the information were insufficient, inconsistent, or unfavorable, or if the task was to describe the country. As hypothesized, combinations of stimulus uncertainty and response importance were multiplicative, whereas combinations of two stimulus uncertainty variables (amount and consistency) or two response importance variables (task and favorability) were only additive.