This thesis helps to address the gap in literature relating to the study of the provision of information to consumers, consumer information search behaviour and consumer information processing and choice behaviour relating to information-intensive products. Throughout the thesis, wine is taken as an example of an information-intensive product. Through a series of four published papers in peer reviewed journals, the thesis examines how firms can control and manipulate the provision of information to consumers and that by restricting the availability of information, the firm can make its target consumers want the product even more. Although secrecy has existed for centuries, as a marketing tool it is relatively new and little is understood about its power or purpose in marketing strategy. The thesis also analyses how consumers process information relating to information-intensive products using mental shortcuts, or heuristics, to substitute price for product quality at increasing rates of product consumption. Finally, the thesis provides a new way in which to segment the luxury wine market based on consumer knowledge together with the timing of consumption. The thesis provides a number of interesting advancements in marketing and consumer behaviour research. The first advancement examines whether secret wine societies are actually that secret at all and finds that they are not; however this finding does not absolve the need for marketers to use secrecy as a marketing tool. The second advancement provides insight into advertising, blogs and consumer innovativeness and finds a positive relationship between attitude toward advertising and consumer innovativeness. The third advancement finds evidence that consumers’ process information by using the price-quality heuristic, for both sighted and blind tasting experiments. Furthermore, the study finds that blind tasting (deliberate thinking) reinforces sighted tasting (automatic thinking) which contributes to judgement errors about product quality. The fourth advancement is to provide a new way to segment the luxury wine market based on consumer objective knowledge, frequency of consumption and timing of consumption. / <p>QC 20160518</p>

This dissertation focuses on the discrepancy between consumers’ attitudes towards privacy and actual behavior. Although consumers increasingly protest against invasions of privacy, they routinely disclose more information than their disclosure intent. Firms make sizeable investments in acquiring consumer information because it helps them build and enhance customer relationships. However, some of the information acquisition occurs at the expense of consumers’ privacy. Against this backdrop, understanding and being responsive to consumers’ privacy concerns is critical. Essay 1 focuses on consumers’ thoughts and feelings underlying their intention to disclose or withhold information from firms. I use the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET), a depth interviewing process that involves story-telling, sensory images, and vignettes based on psychodrama. The results reported are based on depth interviews of twenty consumers from a large city and mid-sized town in the U.S.A. Essay 2 focuses on consumers’ behavioral responses to an invasion of privacy from a social justice theory perspective. I use the Critical Incident Technique (CIT) in an online survey of 997 respondents to understand thoughts and feelings about privacy that drive the behavioral responses of consumers to an actual/potential invasion of privacy. I identify the antecedents and outcomes of consumers’ information experience with firms. Additionally, I examine vividness effects to understand the extent to which consumer perceptions of likely outcomes due to firms acquiring and using information about them are influenced by media coverage of the issue. Building on the findings of essays 1 and 2, I develop a model and working hypotheses for further empirical analysis. By examining the negative (i.e., violation of privacy) as well as positive experiences of consumers, I identify how consumers’ attitudes towards firms acquiring and using information about them are focused on risks, whereas their behavior takes into account risks as well as rewards. A better understanding of consumers’ privacy concerns can be valuable to firms in personalizing their data acquisition and use strategies, customer communications as well as their overall customer relationship management (CRM) strategy.

Consumer Information Processing (CIP) handlar om hur vi som konsumenter tar till ossoch påverkas av den information som ständigt omger oss vid en beslutssituation. Ämnethar länge varit i fokus för forskning inom marknadsföring då detta naturligtvisintresserar företagen i hög grad. Tidigare forskning hävdar att när vi som konsumentertar till oss av de intryck som omger oss, bearbetas dessa intryck tillsammans med dekunskaper vi har sedan tidigare (bottom-up processing och top-down processing).Studier har visat att information som tilldelas oss kan ha direkt påverkan på våra sinnenoch hur vi upplever en produkt.Denna studie undersökte hur olika typer av tilläggsinformation påverkade konsumentersupplevda smak av vin. Tolv testpersoner studerades i ett experiment bestående av tresteg där olika betyg presenterades på de viner testpersonerna bedömde. Resultatet avstudien visade att kvinnor i högre grad påverkas av negativ tilläggsinformation medanmän i högre grad påverkas av positiv tilläggsinformation. / The subject of Consumer Information Processing (CIP) addresses how we as consumersgets affected by the present amount of information that constantly surrounds us in adecision situation. This subject has long been in the center of focus for research withinthe field of marketing because the high level of interest from a company viewpoint.Earlier research claims that a process occours when surrounding information reaches theconsumer, involving both the surrounding information but also the consumer´s ownprevious knowledge and experiences (bottom-up and top-down processing). Studieshave shown that added information can actually have direct affect on how our senseswork and therefore also affect how we perceive a product.This paper studied the affect of different types of added information on consumer'sperceived taste of wine. A total of twelve participants were studied in an experimentconstisting of three steps. Different ratings of the wines were presented to theparticipants prior to judging. The result of the study showed that women were affectedby negativ type of added information at a higher rate, whilst men were more affected bypositive added information.

<p>Political consumers, by using their consumerism to make political statements, constitute a potential force in changing global consumption patterns towards more sustainable ones. Thus new insights concerning this specific group and its ways of searching for information prior to a purchase decision might help understand the mechanisms behind sustainable consumption choices. This study is based on a series of twelve personal qualitative interviews conducted with Swedish consumers of sustainable goods. These interviews confirmed certain characteristics known to political consumers, such as a high level of commitment, high standards regarding information and the frequent use of labelling schemes. Furthermore this study has shown the complexity experienced by this group of consumers regarding sustainability claims and the role of a chosen “sustainability champion” in helping make sense of this complex information. Finally this study reminds of the significance of respecting the consumer and his trust for a message as well as the need for simple and clear information tools to distinguish proper sustainable goods from others.</p>

Political consumers, by using their consumerism to make political statements, constitute a potential force in changing global consumption patterns towards more sustainable ones. Thus new insights concerning this specific group and its ways of searching for information prior to a purchase decision might help understand the mechanisms behind sustainable consumption choices. This study is based on a series of twelve personal qualitative interviews conducted with Swedish consumers of sustainable goods. These interviews confirmed certain characteristics known to political consumers, such as a high level of commitment, high standards regarding information and the frequent use of labelling schemes. Furthermore this study has shown the complexity experienced by this group of consumers regarding sustainability claims and the role of a chosen “sustainability champion” in helping make sense of this complex information. Finally this study reminds of the significance of respecting the consumer and his trust for a message as well as the need for simple and clear information tools to distinguish proper sustainable goods from others.

This thesis examines the nature and effects of current public information about food production, purchasing and sustainability that is available in Sweden. The thesis follows a two part structure based on the Action Research Cycle; it focuses predominantly on the initial diagnostic stage, using document review, questionnaires and Cultural Probes to examine what information is currently available to Swedish consumers, as well as how they respond to this information. The thesis then moves towards the action planning stage of the Action Research Cycle, using current academic literature in IS with the findings of my diagnostic research to suggest ways in which information-communication technology can be used to improve upon the current situation, and paving the way for future research in the area of public information and food sustainability.

L’allergie alimentaire est un problème majeur de santé publique. Sa prévalence est estimée à 5 % chez l’adulte et à 8 % chez l’enfant dans les pays industrialisés. L’objectif de cette thèse est d’apporter une contribution à la diététique diagnostique et thérapeutique de l’allergie alimentaire. Nos travaux ont porté sur l’allergie alimentaire au pois jaune et au sésame. Le pois jaune est un allergène émergent à risque de réaction grave. Son seuil réactogène est bas, soit 0,13 g de protéines alors que la teneur des aliments peut atteindre 20 g/100g. L’étude de 35 personnes allergiques au sésame a permis de définir que le seuil réactogène pouvant déclencher une réaction chez 5% de la population allergique se situe entre 1,2 et 4,0 mg de protéines de sésame. Nous avons validé la progression optimale des doses de sésame pour le test de provocation orale en lien avec le consensus européen Europrevall. L’absence d’harmonisation internationale concernant les allergènes à déclaration obligatoire, nous a conduit dans une seconde partie, à étudier l’impact de l’allergie alimentaire sur la décision, l’organisation et le déroulement d’un séjour à l’étranger. Cette étude réalisée en collaboration avec l’Observatoire Régional de Santé et des Affaires Sociales de Lorraine et les associations française et belge pour la prévention des allergies montre, sur un panel de 102 répondants, que l’allergie alimentaire contraint 14 % des répondants à ne pas voyager à l’étranger et que 30% des personnes ayant voyagé ont présenté une réaction allergique. Les accidents sont survenus principalement dans les restaurants. Ces résultats soulignent la nécessité de développer un système d’information et de formation des personnes allergiques et des professionnels de l’alimentation pour mettre en oeuvre des stratégies de prévention du risque. / Food allergy is a major public health problem. Its prevalence is estimated at 5% in adults and 8% in children in industrialized countries. The objective of this thesis is to bring a contribution to the diagnostic and therapeutic dietetics in food allergy. Our work focused on yellow pea and sesame food allergies. Yellow pea is an emerging allergen with risk of a severe reaction. Its reactogenic threshold is of 0.13 g of protein while the content of food can reach 20 g / 100g. The study of 35 people allergic to sesame has enabled the identification of the reactogenic threshold that can trigger a reaction in 5% of the allergic population. It is estimated between 1.2 and 4.0 mg of sesame protein. We validated optimal progression dosing scheme for sesame for oral challenge test taking in account the European consensus Europrevall. Lack of international harmonization on mandatory allergens, led us in a second part of this thesis, to study the impact of food allergy on the decision, trip organization and a stay abroad of an allergic person. This study, conducted in collaboration with the regional health observatory and Social Affairs of Lorraine and the French and Belgian associations for allergy prevention shows, on a panel of 102 respondents, that food allergy forced 14% of respondents do not travel abroad and that 30% of people who have traveled had an allergic reaction. The accidents occurred mainly in restaurants. These results highlight the need to develop an information system and training of allergies and food professionals to implement risk prevention strategies.

<p>The current information society is collecting information about individual needs, wants and desires continuously with the help of new technologies. Information systems, such as consumer relationship management (CRM) have a crucial importance when providing personalized services to the customers. This is done by gathering, storing, maintaining and distributing important consumer knowledge throughout the organization. (Chen & Popovich, 2003) However as previous studies have shown, consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about threats to their personal privacy when new technologies are integrated into the society (e.g. Cranor et al, 1999; Kervenoael et al, 2007). As these emerging issues are becoming more common in the consumers’ daily lives, it is of great importance to discover their perceptions about it. Hence, the purpose of this study is to examine the consumers’ perception about their privacy and how they affiliate with their personal information being processed in various organizations.</p><p>The theoretical framework suggests that several factors affects the consumers comfort in sharing personal information to companies, such as the physical environment of the organization, which type of information that is shared, what organization that stores and uses the information, the psychological distance the actors have to each other and how much control the consumers have over the use of their personal information. A selfadministered questionnaire was used to collect the data. The results showed that the majority of the respondents were concerned about the information that is gathered about them, which further emphasises the importance of this study. It was evident that the respondents were more willing to provide demographic and lifestyle information, rather than financial and purchase related information. The results also showed a variation depending on which organization that is considered. The various organizations were categorized into four different groups; Intimate distance, personal distance, social distance and public distance, depending on the respondents’ perceived comfort in sharing their personal information with them.</p><p>Some significant differences were observed between the various demographic groups as well. One of the findings indicates that men appear to be more comfortable in sharing their personal information to certain companies in comparison to women, due to a higher intellectual risk-propensity. It is argued that the consumers concern for privacy is an important issue to consider for companies. In order to maintain a strong relationship with their customers it should be integrated as an essential part of their CRM-strategies to make their information gathering techniques more efficient.</p>

The current information society is collecting information about individual needs, wants and desires continuously with the help of new technologies. Information systems, such as consumer relationship management (CRM) have a crucial importance when providing personalized services to the customers. This is done by gathering, storing, maintaining and distributing important consumer knowledge throughout the organization. (Chen &amp; Popovich, 2003) However as previous studies have shown, consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about threats to their personal privacy when new technologies are integrated into the society (e.g. Cranor et al, 1999; Kervenoael et al, 2007). As these emerging issues are becoming more common in the consumers’ daily lives, it is of great importance to discover their perceptions about it. Hence, the purpose of this study is to examine the consumers’ perception about their privacy and how they affiliate with their personal information being processed in various organizations. The theoretical framework suggests that several factors affects the consumers comfort in sharing personal information to companies, such as the physical environment of the organization, which type of information that is shared, what organization that stores and uses the information, the psychological distance the actors have to each other and how much control the consumers have over the use of their personal information. A selfadministered questionnaire was used to collect the data. The results showed that the majority of the respondents were concerned about the information that is gathered about them, which further emphasises the importance of this study. It was evident that the respondents were more willing to provide demographic and lifestyle information, rather than financial and purchase related information. The results also showed a variation depending on which organization that is considered. The various organizations were categorized into four different groups; Intimate distance, personal distance, social distance and public distance, depending on the respondents’ perceived comfort in sharing their personal information with them. Some significant differences were observed between the various demographic groups as well. One of the findings indicates that men appear to be more comfortable in sharing their personal information to certain companies in comparison to women, due to a higher intellectual risk-propensity. It is argued that the consumers concern for privacy is an important issue to consider for companies. In order to maintain a strong relationship with their customers it should be integrated as an essential part of their CRM-strategies to make their information gathering techniques more efficient.

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