A structural approach to examine the quality attributes of e‐shopping malls using the Kano model

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the characteristics of e‐shopping malls by using Kano's two‐dimensional quality model; also to determine the salient quality attributes, including those attributes that increase customer satisfaction and technological characteristics that are essential for the use of e‐shopping malls, to provide important strategic implications.Design/methodology/approachIn this regard, the paper is divided into Study 1 and Study 2. Study 1 uses Kano's two‐dimensional quality model to determine the characteristics of e‐shopping malls, whereas Study 2 analyzes the relationship among e‐shopping malls' characteristics, customer satisfaction, flow experience, and trust.FindingsAccording to the results of Study 1, communication quality and marketing activity reflected one‐dimensional quality attributes. In addition, brand recognition was an attractive quality attribute, whereas interface quality, system security, and information quality were must‐be quality attributes. According to the results of Study 2, communication‐related attributes of e‐shopping malls did not have significant effects on customer satisfaction, whereas other attributes such as brand recognition, marketing activity, interface quality, system security, and information quality directly influenced customer satisfaction.Practical implicationsThe results also have important implications for researchers. First, the quality dimensions of e‐shopping malls can be identified through an empirical analysis based on Kano's model. This indicates that the quality attributes of e‐shopping malls can be better examined by using a two‐dimensional quality model than by using a one‐dimensional quality model. Second, the authors not only extracted the quality dimensions based on Kano's model but also examined customer satisfaction, flow experience and trust to verify their relationships, providing a better understanding of the effective quality management of e‐shopping malls.Originality/valuePrevious studies considering various types of e‐shopping malls have focused on the design and functions of e‐shopping mall web sites; the elements that vitalize e‐commerce and the key factors influencing the success of e‐commerce; and the factors influencing customer satisfaction and purchase intentions. Most of the literature on e‐shopping malls have typically approached this topic by using a one‐dimensional method relying on whether the physical/technological attributes of e‐shopping malls are fulfilled. This paper expands the horizon by incorporating a systematic approach to web service qualities using Kano model, which is a multi‐dimensional model.