TRANSPARENCY IN INFORMATION MARKETS

Daphne Ruth Raban, Efrat Marmur

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

This study focuses on the effects of market transparencies on consumers’ perceived value of information. Information goods have two key special characteristics: they are experience goods, and they are often given away for free. The study implements three transparencies related to market goods – cost, operational, and price transparencies - in an experimental information market to examine their effect on the perceived value of information goods. Perceived value is assessed by willingness-to-pay (WTP). The research method is a controlled experiment including preliminary questions, a visual vignette depicting a health app and two value elicitation questions. Three groups of participants were exposed to each transparency form when price is not known. When cost transparency is applied, participants are more likely to download the app. Operational transparency has no effect on information goods. Price transparency diminishes the perceived value of the information good (WTP changes by -61.8%) and participants are 80% less likely to download the app. When users received cost information related to a free information good, the perceived value of that good increased by +122.7% compared to the control. Operational transparency did not produce a statistically significant difference in WTP. The combined transparencies produce WTP which is higher than for operational transparency alone, but lower than for cost transparency alone. Overall, in the case of information goods, cost transparency enhances value perception while price transparency diminishes it. To date, cost transparency is rarely practiced in information markets. The current results suggest that the cost of producing information should be visible to information consumers. The lower combined effect of cost and operational transparencies may be indicative of information overload and the diminishing value of additional information.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the International Conferences on e-Society 2023, ES 2023 and Mobile Learning 2023, ML 2023
EditorsPiet Kommers, Inmaculada Arnedillo Sanchez, Pedro Isaias, Luis Rodrigues
PublisherIADIS Press
Pages210-218
Number of pages9
ISBN (Electronic)9789898704474
StatePublished - 2023
Event21st International Conference on e-Society, ES 2023 and 19th International Conference on Mobile Learning, ML 2023 - Lisbon, Portugal
Duration: 11 Mar 202313 Mar 2023

Publication series

NameProceedings of the International Conferences on e-Society 2023, ES 2023 and Mobile Learning 2023, ML 2023

Conference

Conference21st International Conference on e-Society, ES 2023 and 19th International Conference on Mobile Learning, ML 2023
Country/TerritoryPortugal
CityLisbon
Period11/03/2313/03/23

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Proceedings of the International Conferences on e-Society 2023, ES 2023 and Mobile Learning 2023, ML 2023. All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Information Markets
  • Perceived Value
  • Transparency
  • Willingness-to-Pay

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Computer Networks and Communications
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Hardware and Architecture
  • Information Systems
  • Software

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