Abstract
The consumer information evaluation framework using the search, experience and credence (SEC) classification has been active in the service literature for almost twenty years (Zeithaml 1981). Although embraced by marketers, surprisingly little empirical work has been done on the viability of the economics of information framework yet it offers important theoretical support in the services literature and practical applications for service providers. Useful for both goods and services research, the SEC framework has its strongest appeal in the service industry literature because of services' inherent intangible and non-standard characteristics. Marketing scholars argue that this type of service industry distinction enhances theory development because the findings are not particular to some unique industry but are generalizable to other like type service situations. Because of its important theoretical potential in the service literature and its managerial implications for service providers, an effective multi-item SEC measurement is needed. This research attempts, through several qualitative and quantitative iterations, to further the semce literature by extending the SEC measurement into a useful theoretical and managerial instrument. This exploratory research attempts to build upon previous endeavors in developing a measurement (e.g. Iacobucci 1992) that can differentiate, between search, experience and credence goods/services.
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References
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Smith, R.K. (2015). Developing an Economics of Information Measurement for Services: The SEC Framework. In: Spotts, H., Meadow, H. (eds) Proceedings of the 2000 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual Conference. Developments in Marketing Science: Proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-11885-7_112
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-11885-7_112
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