Information Search

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Fry, & Portis, 1974), or positive and negative relationship both exist but cancel out each other (Srinivasan & Ratchford, 1991).

Evidently, there existed great disparity among former studies. Given each study had reasonable explanation to their outcomes, the knowledge-search relationship remains uncertain and controversial. However, reexamine this relationship is not our purpose. We want to explore the knowledge-search relationship in different aspect that is the influence of knowledge on pre-purchase search and ongoing search. Maybe it could give new interpretation of the knowledge-search relationship.

2.2 Information Search

2.2.1 External and internal information search

There are two phases of information search: internal information search and external information search (Spreng, 1996; Engel, 1990). Internal information search refers to the acquisition of information available in the memory (Bettman, 1979), whereas external is the acquisition of information outside of memory, such as friends, in-store displays, advertisements, magazine etc. (Bettman, 1979). When the information in memory is deficient, consumers would change from internal to external search by seeking the information outside of memory. Among the external search, we use purchase intention and readiness to purchase to differentiate the external search into two types: pre-purchase search and ongoing search.

2.2.2 Pre-purchase search

Base on Kelly’s definition, pre-purchase search is ‘‘information seeking and processing activities which one engages in to facilitate decision making regarding some

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goal object in the marketplace’’ (Kelly, 1968). The concept is that consumer conducting a search activity in order to solve a specific purchase problem and to make a wise choice.

In the view of this perspective, pre-purchase search was the primary focus of the past search-related studies (Claxton, Fry & Portis, 1974; Furse, Punj & Steward, 1984;

Newman, 1977; Punj & Staelin, 1983), until the emergence of ongoing search provided a different view of external search.

2.2.3 Ongoing search

The concept of ongoing search was first raised by Bloch at 1983, he further defined ongoing search and proposed a framework of consumer search at 1986. As we’ve mentioned before, many studies about consumer search were focusing on pre-purchase search, but Bloch postulated that ‘‘an orientation focusing solely on pre-purchase search was deficient and unable to account for search activity that is recreational or that occurs without a recognized consumption need’’. When people are conducting window shopping, reading magazines, browsing websites, or chatting with friends, they may not have any plan to purchase, yet are still obtaining information. If these sources of information are not included in knowledge search, consumers’ actual knowledge level would be underestimate. Since this phenomenon was not included in the traditional search theories, to fill the gap exists in the theories, Bloch defined ongoing search as

“the search activities that are independent from specific purchase needs or decisions”.

Consumers do not always search to solve a recognized and immediate purchase problem, sometimes they do not have urgent demand of the product or lack of financial buying ability, the intention to buy is absent. They simply search for fun and for the preparation of future purchase (Bloch, 1986).

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2.2.4 Differences between pre-purchase search and ongoing search

According to Bloch’s consumer information search framework, pre-purchase search and ongoing search are conceptually different in determinants, motives and outcomes. The most remarkable difference is the search motive. The main motive for the pre-purchase search is to enhance the quality of purchase outcome (Punj & Staelin, 1983, Bloch, 1986), whereas the motive for the ongoing search are pleasure and construction of information bank for future use (Bloch, 1986). In fact, it’s hard to distinguish them in practice. Although we use purpose to differentiate pre-purchase search and ongoing search, often people just buy in the absence of purchase intension.

Sometimes consumers do not intent to buy at the beginning, but the purchase intension arise during the ongoing searching process then they would make the purchase.

Ongoing search suddenly turns out to be pre-purchase search in this case. Impulse buying blurs the boundary between the two. Furthermore it is difficult to distinguish them from external observation (Furse, Punj, & Stewart, 1984).

Past literature about knowledge-search relationship usually referred external search to pre-purchase search. Some studies didn’t even mention. Nevertheless, for our research purpose, we have to distinguish the two. Searching purpose is the main thing differentiate ongoing search and pre-purchase search. We use buying intention and buying ability to approximate the purpose. If consumers are ready to buy and search to make better decision, then they are conducting pre-purchase search. On the other hand, if consumers merely search for fun, or currently lack of ability to buy, then it’s classified as ongoing search (Bloch, 1986). Actually, some researchers had already proposed similar concept way before Bloch. Claxton, Fry and Portis (1974) stated that information search is a continuous process. People continue to search even the purchasing plan is absent. So when they come to make a purchase, relatively little

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explicit search is needed (Claxton, Fry and Portis, 1974). That is, under the exposure of information, consumers may already have enough knowledge to make decision. We can see pre-purchase search comprise only portion of consumers’ information search, yet ongoing search has been excluded from external search in many researched. If ongoing search is also part of external search, then only investigate pre-purchase search is insufficient. Ongoing search is as crucial as pre-purchase search. The importance of ongoing search should not be ignored.

2.3 Buyer Regret and Cognitive Dissonance