Skip to main content
Log in

The influence of the amount and type of information on individuals’ perception of legal services

  • Published:
Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The study examines the impact of different amounts and types of infomation on individuals’ perception of attorneys. Utilizing the concept of perceived risk, an experiment was conducted to test various communication strategies. The results, in part, confirm the “word-of-mouth is best” strategy adhered to by many attorneys. The study also sheds light on the impact of legal service advertising on indivduals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson, Ronald D., Jack L. Engeldow and Helmut Becker. 1979. “Evaluating the Relationship Among Attitudes Toward Business, Product Satisfaction, Experience and Search Factor”.Journal of Marketing Research 16 (August): 394–400.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arndt, Johan. 1967a. “Wbrd-of-Mouth Advertising and Informal Communication”. InRisk Taking and Information Handling in Consumer Behavior, ed. Donald F. Cox. Harvard University, Division of Research, Graduate School of Business Administration. Boston.

    Google Scholar 

  • —. 1967b. “Perceived Risk, Sociometric Integration, and Word-of-Mouth, in the Adoption of a New Food Product”. InRisk Taking and Information Handling in Consumer Behavior, ed. Donald F. Cox. Harvard University, Division of Research, Graduate School of Business Administration. Boston.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bates vs. State Bar of Arizona. 1977. 433 U.S. 350.

  • Bateson, John E.G. 1979. “Why We need Service Marketing”. InConceptual and Theoretical Developments in Marketing. AMA Proceedings Series. eds. 0.C. Ferrell, Stephen W. Brown and Charles W. Lamb, Jr., 131–146. Chicago.

  • Bauer, Raymond A. 1967. “Consumer Behavior as Risk Taking” InRisk Taking and Information Handling in Consumer Behavior, ed. Donald F. Cox, 23–33. Harvard University, Division of Research, Graduate School of Business Administration. Boston.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, Keith and Russel Belk. 1979. “The Effects of Product Involvement and Task Definition on Anticipated Consumer Effort”.Journal of Marketing Research 2 (August): 244–249.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooley, William W. and Paul R. Lohnes. 1971.Multivariate Data Analysis. New York: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cox, Donald F. 1967. “Risk Handling in Consumer Behavior: An Intensive Study of Two Cases”. InRisk Taking and Information Handling in Consumer Behavior, ed. Donald F. Cox, Harvard University, Division of Research, Graduate School of Business Administration. Boston.

    Google Scholar 

  • — and Stuart V. Rich. 1967. “Perceived Risk and Consumer Decision Making—The Case of Telephone Shopping”. InRisk Taking and Information Handling in Consumer Behavior, ed. Donsld F. Cox, Harvard University, Division of Research, Graduate School of Business Administration. Boston.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cronbach, Lee J. 1951. “Coefficient Alpha and the Internal Structure of Tests”.Psychometrika 16 (September): 297–334.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, Duane L. and Charles S. Spiegel. 1979. “An Exploratory Assessment of Potentially Useful Types of Prepurchase Information to Consumers of Legal Service”.Developments in Marketing Science, Proceedings of the Third Annual Conference of the Academy of Marketing Science, eds. Howard Gitlow and Edward W. Wheatley, 265–267.

  • Dawson, Lyndon E. and Hugh G. Wales. 1979. “Consumer Motivation Theory in Historical Perspective: An Aldersonian Approach”. InConceptual and Theoretical Developments in Marketing, AMA Proceeding Series. eds. 0.C. Ferrell, Stephen W. Brown and Charles W. Lamb, Jr., 210–222. Chicago.

  • Dean, Michael L., James F. Engel, and Wayne Talarzyk. 1972. “The Influence of Package Copy Claims on Consumer Product Evaluation”.Journal of Marketing 36 (April): 34–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dummler, Michael P., Kenneth Crocker, and H. Lee Meadow. 1983. “An Exploratory Examination of the Homogeneity in Consumer Perceptions of Professional Service Advertising”. InProceeding of the Southern Marketing Association, editor John Summey, et al., 298–301.

  • Eiglier, Pierre, Eric Langeard, Christopher Lovelock, John E. G. Bateson and Robert F. Young. 1977. “Marketing Consumer Services: New Insights”. Marketing Science Institute. Cambridge. 77–115 (November).

    Google Scholar 

  • Elkins, James R. 1978. “The Legal Persona: An Essay on the Professional Mask”.Virginia Law Review 64: 735–753.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • 2nd ed. Hinsdale, IL: Dryden Press, H. R. Winston, Inc.

  • Enis, Ben M. and Kenneth J. Roering. 1981. “Services Marketing: Different Products, Similar Strategy”. InMarketing of Services. AMA Proceeding Series, eds. James H. Donnelly and William R. George.

  • Fine, Seymour H. 1980. “Toward a Theory of Segmentation by Objectives in Social Marketing”.Journal of Consumer Research 7 (June): 1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ford, Gary T. and Philip G. Kuehl. 1977. “The Promotion of Medical and Legal Services: An Experimental Study.” InContemporary Marketing Thought 1977 Educators Proceedings, eds. Bernett Greenberg and Kenny N. Bellenger, 39–44.

  • Gronroos, Christian. 1980. “Designing a Long Range Marketing Strategy for Services”.Long Range Planning 13: 36–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haefner, James. @83. “Mass Media Implications For Legal Services”. InProceedings of the 1983 Convention of the Academy of Advertising, ed. Donald W. Jugenheimer, 83–87.

  • Hempel, Donald and Michael V. Laric. 1979. “Marketing Productivity Analysis: Strategic Implications for Consumer Services”. InConceptual and Theoretical Developments in Marketing, AMA Proceeding Series eds. O.C. Ferrell, Stephen W. Brown and Charles W. Lamb, Jr., 554–566.

  • Hoover, Robert J., Robert Green and Joel Saegert. 1978. “A Cross National Study of Perceived Risk”.Journal of Marketing 42.3:102–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Houston, Michael J. and Michael L. Rothschild. 1978. “Conceptual and Methodological Perspectives on Involvement.” In1978 Educators Proceedings, AMA Proceeding Series. ed. S.C. Jain, 184–187.

  • Hugstad, Paul S. and James W. Taylor. 1979. “Risk Theory and the Science of Marketing”. InConceptual and Theoretical Developments in Marketing, AMA Proceedings Series. eds. O.C. Ferrell, Stephen W. Brown and Charles W. Lamb, Jr., 448–458.

  • Jacoby, J. and L. B. Kaplan. 1972. “The Components of Perceived Risk”. InProceedings, Third Annual Conference of Association for Consumer Research, ed. M. Venkatesan, 382–393. Chicago: University of Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirk, Roger E. 1968.Experimental Design: Procedures for the Behavioral Sciences. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leavitt, Theodore. 1972. “Product Line Approach to Services”.Harvard Business Review 52 (September–October): 41–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liechty, Margaret and Gilbert A. Churchill. 1979. “Conceptual Insights into Consumer Satisfaction with Services”. InEducators Conference Proceedings Series 44, AMA Proceeding Series. eds. E. Laird Landon, Jr. and William B. Locander.

  • Lovelock, Christopher H. 1979. “Theoretical Contributions from Service and Non-Business Marketing”. InConceptual and Theoretical Developments in Marketing, AMA Proceedings Series. eds. O.C. Ferrell, Stephen W. Brown and Charles W. Lamb, Jr., 147–165.

  • —. 1983. “Classifying Services to Gain Strategic. Marketing Insights”.Journal of Marketing 47.3:9–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lutz, Richard J. and Patrick J. Reilly. 1973. “An Exploration of the Effects of Perceived Social and Performance Risk in Consumer Information Acquisition”. InAdvances in Consumer Research Proceedings of Fourth Annual Conference. eds. Scott Ward and Peter Wright, 393–405.

  • Markin, Ron. 1979. “The Role of Rationalization in Consumer Decision Process: A Revisionist Approach to Consumer Behavior”.Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 7.4 (Fall): 316–334.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller, John and Robin Waller. 1979. “Health Care Advertising: Consumer Versus Physician Attitudes”Journal of Advertising 8 (Fall): 20–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Murdock, Gene W. 1981. “The Impact of Advertising on the Image of Lawyers—An Experiment”.The Changing Marketing Environment: New Theories and Applications. In 1981 Educators Conference Proceedings, AMA Proceeding Series. eds. Kenneth Bernhardt, et al., 233–236.

  • Nunnally, Jum C. 1978.Psychometric Theory. 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parasuraman, A., Valarie A. Zeithaml, and Leonard L. Berry. 1985. “A Conceptual Model of Service Quality and Its Implications for Future Research”.Journal of Marketing 49 (Fall): 41–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, Larry T. and Robert A. Swerdlow. 1982. “Should Lawyers Advertise? A Study of Consumer Attitudes”Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 10.3 (Summer): 314–328.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Perreault Jr., William D. and William R. Darden. 1975. ‘Unequal Cell Sizes in Marketing Experiments: Use of the General Linear Hypothesis”Journal of Marketing 12 (August): 333–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perry, M. and B. C. Hamm. 1969. “Canonical Analysis of Relations between Socio-Economic Risk and Personal Influence in Purchase Decisions”Journal of Marketing Research 6 (August):352.

    Google Scholar 

  • Popielarz, Donald T. 1967. “An Exploration of Perceived Risk and Willingness to Try New Products”.Journal of Marketing Research 4 (November): 368–372.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ratchford, Brian and Alan A. Andreasan. 1973. “A Study of Consumer Perceptions of Decisions”. InAdvances in Consumer Research, eds. Scott Ward and Peter Wright, 1:334–345.

  • Rathmell, John M. 1974.Marketing in the Service Sector. Cambridge, MA: Winthrop Publishers, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sasser, W. Earl. 1976. “Match Supply and Demand in Service Industries”Harvard Business Review 54.6 (November–December): 133–140.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schiffman, Leon G. 1972. “Perceived Risk in New Product Trial by Elderly Consumers”.Journal of Marketing Research 9 (February): 106–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sheth, Jagdish N. and M. Venkatesan. 1968. “Risk Reduction Processes in Repetitive Consumer Behavior”Journal of Marketing Research 5 (August): 307–310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shostack, Lynn G. @77. “Breaking Free from Product Marketing”Journal of Marketing 41.2: 73–80.

  • Smith, Robert and Tiffany S. Meyer. 1980. “Attorney Advertising: A Consumer Perspective”.Journal of Marketing 44 (Spring): 56–64.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, James W. 1974. “The Role of Risk in Consumer Behavior”.Journal of Marketing 38.2 (April): 54–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thorelli, Hans B. and Jack L. Enngledow. 1980. “Information Seekers and Information Systems”.Journal of Marketing 44 (Spring): 9–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Traylor, Mark B. and Alicia M. Mathias. 1983. “Impact of TV Advertising Versus Word-of-Mouth on the Image of Lawyers: A Projective Experiment”.Journal of Advertising 12.4:42–45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Triandis, Harry C. 1977.Interpersonal Behavior. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wasson, Chester R. 1975.Consumer Behavior: A Managerial Viewpoint. Austin, TX: Austin Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeithaml, Valarie A., A. Parasuraman and Leonard L. Berry. 1985. “Problems and Strategies in Services marketing”Journal of Marketing 49 (Spring): 33–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Crocker, K.E. The influence of the amount and type of information on individuals’ perception of legal services. JAMS 14, 18–27 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02721812

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02721812

Keywords

Navigation