Uncertain Switching Costs and Purchase Decisions in Electronic Markets |
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Authors: | Email author" target="_blank">Baichun?XiaoEmail author Youyi?Feng Edward?Roche |
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Institution: | (1) Long Island University, C.W. Post, New York, 11548;(2) Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong;(3) Long Island University, C.W. Post, New York, 11548 |
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Abstract: | As advances in information technologies (IT) significantly reduce the time and cost of acquiring and processing product information,
some buyers that traditionally work with one or few suppliers have switched to the market environment. The rapid growth of
e-commerce has led researchers to believe that a uniform shift to the electronic markets is inevitable. This article examines
the issue from the perspective of uncertain supplier’s performance, switching costs, and the value of information. We show
that the presence of uncertainty and switching costs favors contractual relationships between buyers and suppliers. As IT
makes the market more competitive, the marginal value of information diminishes. Meanwhile, the overall effect of IT on uncertainty
and switching costs is fairly limited. As a result, buyers facing high uncertain supplier’s performance and switching costs
may find working with a small number of suppliers a better choice. |
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Keywords: | uncertainty purchase decision switching costs information technology electronic markets |
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