Strategic signaling through cloud service certifications: Comparing the relative importance of certifications’ assurances to companies and consumers

Cloud service certifications (CSCs) are assessed by practitioners to support strategic cloud adoption decisions with the aim to reduce information asymmetries. Both businesses and consumers scrutinize CSCs’ assurances as ex ante signals indicating a cloud provider’s future service quality. While some research has examined the aggregate effects of certifications on decision variables, recipients’ evaluations of certifications and their assurances...