As a basis for purchase decision processes consumers rely on key data – information chunks – which replace a range of secondary information by a single piece of information (Zentes, 2004; Kroeber-Riel & Weinberg, 2003). This limits the number of subjectively relevant product features (Schulte-Frankenfeld, 1985). Trommsdorff (2004) says the most important consumer information chunks are brand name, logo, price, independent test reports, advertisement recognition ratio and geographical origin. Especially with regard to services it is mentioned that since consumers find these difficult to evaluate, information chunks are used as an indicator for the overall quality (Stauss, 1994).
The Heuristic-Systematic-Model (HSM) outlined by Chaiken can be used to explain the described behaviour (Chaiken, 1980). The model differentiates between systematic and heuristic information processing. Chaiken et al. (1989) postulate that consumers as a rule prefer heuristic information processing because it means little cognitive expenditure. If, though, the consumer is highly motivated or has extensive knowledge of a product, he/she may also apply systematic information processing.
Basically it must be considered that the consumer often does not have access to all relevant information for the purchase decision process and in that case there is no necessity to reduce the massive amount of information as in the case before. In such situations the information chunks are used as a basis to derive conclusions – inferences – about the type of missing information (Simmons & Leonard, 1990).
With regard to the present analysis this means that it is entirely possible that consumers use the origin of a CHI as an information chunk and make their decision to join according to this feature.