Certificazione di qualità e informazione dei mercati. Il ruolo della fiducia
Author(s)
Pisano, Antonella
Date Issued
June 17, 2014
Type
Doctoral Thesis
Abstract
In the context of imperfect information, the fundamental problem that markets have to solve is
twofold: on the one hand, they need to increase the amount of information available for the
decision-making processes; on the other hand, they need to ensure uniformly distributed
information.
There are several tools which can be adopted to prevent or mitigate the negative effects of
asymmetric information: among them a relevant role is played by quality disclosure, which can be
defined as the effort of an organisation to systemically measure and report quality, provided that the
disclosed information can be independently verified by third-party certifiers. This task is crucial
when information is related to “credence” attributes, i.e. the quality attributes which the buyer
cannot evaluate even after purchase and use. Quality assurance is an example of a quality disclosure
practice: it consists in the formal procedure by which an institution assesses and verifies (and attests
by issuing a certificate) that an object conforms to an established standard. It acts – at least in theory
– as a signal which can discriminate high from low quality.
An appropriate knowledge and understanding of quality assurance, accompanied by the
usefulness of disclosed information for markets, are a prerequisite for the proper functioning of
quality signalling; but they do not fulfil all the conditions required to ensure its effectiveness. In this
respect, the scope of quality certification is to transform the credence attributes into search
attributes, by transferring the “credence” characteristic from the product to the certification system.
For this to happen, the system must be credible. Credibility thus becomes the key factor in the
mechanism of quality assurance: it can be defined as the ability or the power to create trust.
Accordingly, the present research aims at answering the following questions:
(i) With reference to the main existing models of quality assurance, does certification represent
an effective tool for quality signalling?
(ii) Do the “institutional” elements of quality certification infrastructure help create trust?
To meet these objectives, this work has been organised as follows.
The first section focuses on the concept of quality and its main interpretations by the economic and
marketing literature. Specific attention is paid to the influence of different approaches to quality on
the organizational and production models adopted by the advanced economies. The dimensions and
expressions of quality attributes are also discussed, on the basis of Lancaster’s alternative
characterisation of consumer demand, where consumers are seen as demanding the attributes of
products rather than the product itself. Quality disclosure processes are also examined through the
traditional Source-Message-Channel-Receiver model of communication.
The information problem is also considered from the perspective of the information economics.
Starting from the definition of information (and of asymmetric information), the effects and the
solutions to the problems of adverse selection and moral hazard are analysed. Quality certification
is thus introduced as a signal which can be launched by an organisation.
The second section presents a theoretical framework for the analysis of the governance of quality
certification systems. An interpretative model of the dynamic relationships and interactions among
the involved institutions is offered, based on the “systems theory approach”. The certification
infrastructure and its functions (standard-setting, certification and accreditation) are explored and
the relevant strengths and weaknesses are outlined.
The third section is devoted to the review of the main contributions of the economic, marketing
and sociological literature on the issues of credibility and trust, aiming at providing a definition and
specification of the two constructs. The dimensions and determinants of credibility and trust in the
context of quality certification infrastructure are also investigated. Different models are compared:
the most appropriate to launch an effective signal seem to be the third-party certification models,
where the three aforementioned functions are independent of each other, from a formal and
operational point of view. This helps to ensure the objectiveness, impartiality and fairness of their
conduct and makes it possible to provide appropriate sanction mechanisms, which discourage
opportunistic behaviours and facilitate compliance with the standards.
In the fourth section, the determinants of trust (previously identified) are tested on the food
quality labels in the Italian markets. The empirical results from a survey on five examples of private
and public labels are presented. The survey explores the following elements: consumers’ awareness
and familiarity with food quality labels; purchase habits and motives; opinions and perceptions
about the institutional elements of the observed certification schemes and the general level of trust
in food quality control. The main findings from the statistical and econometric analysis are
discussed and interpreted, taking into account also the conclusions of previous surveys carried out
at national and European level. It is showed that the most important factors which significantly
affect trust are those related to governance structures of quality certification. Among them, the
stringency of the standards and independence/objectivity of verifiers appear crucial.
The empirical investigation also suggests a role for the public sector in facilitating the
enforcement and control of quality certification systems and enhancing their credibility. In this
sense, public interventions aimed at strengthening the credibility of certification systems – by
consolidating their governance structures and providing appropriate mechanisms to ensure their
competences, expertise and impartiality – would be desirable.
In addition, third-party verification could support the diffusion of some private labels (e.g. largescale
distribution labels), raising their profile and reputation. Attention should be paid also to the
need for a better differentiation among quality labels (especially among private and public ones)
and for a more effective communication to the market, also to avoid consumers’ confusion among
labels, as a result of the increasing competition among different certification schemes.
Additional information
Dottorato di ricerca in Economia e territorio
Subjects
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