An eRetailer's Dilemma: The Dual Influence of Information Presentation

This study addresses the question of which information presentation format e-retailers should choose to encourage consumers to use their websites. The study proposes a model built on three conceptual foundations: the technology acceptance model (TAM), the theory of cognitive fit, and the trade-off effort-accuracy model. The model posits that consumers’ perceived cognitive effort mediates the relationship between cognitive fit and consumer perceived the perceived usefulness of the website interface for selecting the best product alternative. An online experiment was conducted with 599 e-shoppers. The results suggest that e-retailers encounter a dilemma when selecting the information presentation format for their website interface. Indeed, while cognitive fit is positively related to perceived ease of use of the website, it is negatively related to perceived effort. In turn, perceived effort is positively related to perceived usefulness conceptualized as perceived decision accuracy.