Product knowledge has been recognized as an important factor in the research on consumer decision making. It has also been acknowledged that there are different types of knowledge. In this article, we examine the impact of three types of knowledge-subjective knowledge, objective knowledge, and usage experience-on selected aspects of consumer decision making. Effects are examined within the context of an electronic shopping scenario in which subjects selected a VCR brand based on brand and attribute information that could be accessed through a personal computer. Results indicate that, consistent with real-world experience, the three types of knowledge are correlated with each other. However, their effects on attribute importances, information search, and perceived decision outcomes vary by level and type of knowledge. We discuss these effects and their implications for future research.Product knowledge, long recognized as a key concept in information-processing and decision-making research, has been examined in many research studies over the past several years (

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This article examines two major factors that affect the performance of an organization, that is, quality context and market orientation. Quality context comprises the practices and procedures within an organization that enhance the quality of the product and/or service. Market orientation is the process of effectively collecting, disseminating, and responding to information that will enhance the marketing function within the organization. The authors examine the relationships of these constructs with organizational performance within the hospital industry using structural equations modeling. The results confirm the multidimensional nature of all three constructs and show that both market orientation and quality context significantly affect organizational performance. However, whereas market orientation has a direct effect on organizational performance, quality context is only indirectly linked with organizational performance through its effect on market orientation. Implications of these results for the hospital industry and for future research in the area are offered.

Despite the maturing entrepreneurial orientation literature, limited advance has occurred in the theoretical aspect of entrepreneurial orientation-firm performance relationship, and wideranging empirical investigations are few. The authors address these concerns by testing a comprehensive model and by extending the theoretical boundary. Specifically, drawing on dynamic capability theory, core competence perspective, and consumer theories, we argue that technological capability is central for growth and financial performance of an entrepreneurially oriented firm. We introduce a construct called consumer attitude dynamism. We reason that this variable influences the growth of entrepreneurial firms. Our theory and empirical results primarily contribute to the entrepreneurship literature.