Benedict G. C. Dellaert

What drives consumers to shop online? A literature review

While a large number of consumers in the US and Europe frequently shop on the Internet, research on what drives consumers to shop online has typically been fragmented. This paper therefore proposes a framework to increase researchers’ understanding of consumers’ attitudes toward online shopping and their intention to shop on the Internet. The framework uses the constructs of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a basis, extended by exogenous factors and applies it to the online shopping context. The review shows that attitudes toward online shopping and intention to shop online are not only affected by ease of use, usefulness, and enjoyment, but also by exogenous factors like consumer traits, situational factors, product characteristics, previous online shopping experiences, and trust in online shopping.

Investigating Consumers' Tendency to Combine Multiple Shopping Purposes and Destinations

Due to the increasing time pressure that they face, many consumers are becoming more concerned about the efficiency of their shopping patterns. Retailers have recognize this trend, have improved shopping convenience by offering greater variety in product categories and making it easier for consumers to combine visits to multiple stores. However, little is known about how consumers improve the efficiency of their shopping trips, or how changes in retail supply affect the way in which consumers combine multiple purposes and destinations. Building on previous work in consumer shopping trip modeling and conjoint design theory, this paper introduces a choice-based conjoint approach to studying and modeling this phenomenon. The approach is illustrated in a case study which investigated the tendency of Dutch shoppers to combine grocery, drugstore and clothing purchases across multiple shopping destinations. It was observed that the tendency of consumers to combine purchases differed from category to category and also depended on category availability. In general, consumers combined considerably less purchases than could be expected if their shopping trip planning were based purely on travel cost minimization.

The Bright Side and Dark Side of Embedded Ties In Business-to-Business Innovation

Although the number and importance of joint innovation projects between suppliers and their customers continue to rise, the literature has yet to resolve a key question: Do embedded ties with customers help or hurt supplier innovation? Drawing on both the tie strength and knowledge literatures, the authors theorize that embedded ties interact with supplier and customer innovation knowledge to influence supplier innovation. In a sample of 157 Dutch business-to-business innovation relationships, they observe that embedded ties weaken how much suppliers benefit from customer innovation knowledge because of worries about customer opportunism (the dark side of embedded ties). However, they uncover three moderating relationship and governance features that allow suppliers to overcome these dark-side effects and even increase innovation (the bright side of embedded ties). Finally, although the authors predicted a bright-side effect, they find that embedded ties neither help nor hinder the supplier to leverage its own innovation knowledge in the relationship.

Communication Network Formation with Link Specificity and Value Transferability

We model strategic communication network formation with (i) link specificity: link maintenance lowers specific attention and thus value (negative externality previously ignored for communication) and (ii) value transferability via indirect links for informational but not for social value (positive externality modeled uniformly before). Assuming only social value, the pairwise stable set includes many nonstandard networks under high and particular combinations of complete components under low link specificity. Allowing for social and informational value reduces this set to certain fragmented networks under high and the complete network under low link specificity. These extremes are efficient, whereas intermediate link specificity generates inefficiency.

Increasing the Attractiveness of Mass Customization: The Role of Complementary On-line Services and Range of Options

This study investigates the antecedents of consumer intentions to use mass customization on the Internet and the joint role of complementary on-line services (visualization, salesperson interaction, and post-purchase product adaptation) and the range of mass customization options in on-line mass customization. It extends past research by demonstrating that perceptions of control and enjoyment, in addition to perceptions of product outcome and complexity, have a strong impact on consumer intentions to use an on-line mass customization process. The study finds that both increasing the range of mass customization options and providing complementary on-line services enhance perceptions of product outcome, control, and enjoyment in using an on-line mass customization process. However, in contrast to the range of mass customization options, complementary on-line services can be increased without increasing the perceived complexity of the process. Finally, perceived control mediates the negative effect of perceived complexity on consumer intentions to use on-line mass customization.

Behavioral Effects in Individual Decisions of Network Formation: Complexity Reduces Payoff Orientation and Social Preferences

Network formation constitutes an important part of many social and economic processes, but relatively little is known about how individuals make their linking decisions in networks. This article provides an experimental investigation of behavioral effects in individual decisions of network formation. Our findings demonstrate that the inherent complexity of the network setting makes individuals’ choices systematically less payoff-guided and also strongly reduces their social orientation. Furthermore, we show that specific network complexity features aggravate the former effect. These behavioral effects have important implications for researchers and managers working in areas that involve network formation.

Follow-up after treatment for breast cancer: One strategy fits all? An investigation of patient preferences using a discrete choice experiment

Abstract Clinical guidelines for the follow-up after breast cancer recommend frequent outpatient clinic visits to be examined for a possible recurrence or a second primary breast tumour, and to receive information and psychosocial support. However, needs and preferences for follow-up may differ between patients, raising the question whether the current ‘one size fits all’ approach is appropriate. This study explored patients’ preferences for follow-up. Patients and methods. A discrete choice experiment survey with 16 choice tasks was filled out by 331 breast cancer patients. Each choice task consisted of two hypothetical follow-up scenarios for the first year after treatment, described by levels of the following characteristics; attendance at an educational group programme, frequency of visits, waiting time, contact mode, and type of healthcare provider. Results. The healthcare provider and contact mode were the most important characteristics of follow-up to patients. The medical specialist was the most preferred to perform the follow-up, but a combination of the medical specialist and breast care nurse alternating was also acceptable to patients. Face-to-face contact was strongly preferred to telephone contact. Follow-up visits every three months were preferred over visits every four, six, or 12 months. Heterogeneity in preference between patients was strong, especially for the healthcare provider and attendance at an educational group programme. Age, education, and previous experience with follow-up characteristics influenced preferences, but treatment modality did not. Conclusion. The results of this study show that overall patient satisfaction would not differ significantly if patients have follow-up by medical specialist and breast care nurse alternating compared to follow-up by a medical specialist only. Furthermore, we found heterogeneity in preferences for most attributes, indicating that one strategy does not fit all. Individualised follow-up seems to offer the potential for significant increases in patient satisfaction.

Nominal group technique to select attributes for discrete choice experiments: an example for drug treatment choice in osteoporosis

Background: Attribute selection represents an important step in the development of discrete-choice experiments (DCEs), but is often poorly reported. In some situations, the number of attributes identified may exceed what one may find possible to pilot in a DCE. Hence, there is a need to gain insight into methods to select attributes in order to construct the final list of attributes. This study aims to test the feasibility of using the nominal group technique (NGT) to select attributes for DCEs. Methods: Patient group discussions (4–8 participants) were convened to prioritize a list of 12 potentially important attributes for osteoporosis drug therapy. The NGT consisted of three steps: an individual ranking of the 12 attributes by importance from 1 to 12, a group discussion on each of the attributes, including a group review of the aggregate score of the initial rankings, and a second ranking task of the same attributes. Results: Twenty-six osteoporotic patients participated in five NGT sessions. Most (80%) of the patients changed their ranking after the discussion. However, the average initial and final ranking did not differ markedly. In the final ranking, the most important medication attributes were effectiveness, side effects, and frequency and mode of administration. Some (15%) of the patients did not correctly rank from 1 to 12, and the order of attributes did play a role in the ranking. Conclusion: The NGT is feasible for selecting attributes for DCEs. Although in the context of this study, the NGT session had little impact on prioritizing attributes, this approach is rigorous, transparent, and improves the face validity of DCEs. Additional research in other contexts (different decisional problems or different diseases) is needed to determine the added value of the NGT session, to assess the optimal ranking/rating method with control of ordering effects, and to compare the attributes selected with the different approaches.

Patients' preferences for osteoporosis drug treatment: a discrete-choice experiment

IntroductionThe patient’s perspective is becoming increasingly important in clinical and policy decisions. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the preferences of patients with, or at risk of, osteoporosis for medication attributes, and to establish how patients trade between these attributes.MethodsA discrete choice experiment survey was designed and patients were asked to choose between two hypothetical unlabelled drug treatments (and an opt-out option) that vary in five attributes: efficacy in reducing the risk of fracture, type of potential common side-effects, mode and frequency of administration and out-of-pocket costs. An efficient experimental design was used to construct the treatment option choice sets and a mixed logit panel data model was used to estimate patients’ preferences and trade-offs between attributes.ResultsA total of 257 patients with, or at risk of, osteoporosis completed the experiment. As expected, patients preferred treatment with higher effectiveness and lower cost. They also preferred either an oral monthly tablet or 6-month subcutaneous injection above weekly oral tablets, 3-month subcutaneous, 3-month intravenous or yearly intravenous injections. Patients disliked being at risk of gastro-intestinal disorders more than being at risk of skin reactions and flu-like symptoms. There was significant variation in preferences across the sample for all attributes except subcutaneous injection.ConclusionsThis study revealed that osteoporotic patients preferred 6-month subcutaneous injection and oral monthly tablet, and disliked gastro-intestinal disorders. Moreover, patients were willing to pay a personal contribution or to trade treatment efficacy for better levels of other attributes. Preferences for treatment attributes varied across patients and this highlights the importance of clinical decision-making taking individual preferences into account to improve osteoporosis care.

Behavorial effects in individual decisions of network formation

Network formation constitutes an important part of many social and economic processes, but relatively little is known about how individuals make their linking decisions. This article provides an experimental investigation of behavioral effects in individual decisions of network formation. Our findings demonstrate that individuals systematically simplify more complex components of network payoff in their linking decisions. Specifically, they focus on only part of the normative payoff, namely on their own direct payoff and tend to ignore indirect payoff and payoff for others in the network. Additionally, individuals use descriptive behavioral traits of link choice alternatives to guide their choices. They are sensitive to whether an alternative involves link deletion or creation and whether it concerns an isolated or a central node. Furthermore, we find that complexity of one type can moderate individuals’ dealing with a complex feature of another type. These behavioral effects have important implications for researchers and managers working in areas that involve network formation.