Assessing e-service quality: the current state of E-S-QUAL

Abstract

Purpose: This study seeks to holistically undertake a comprehensive review of the current state of the E-S-QUAL scale including the methodology used, suggestions and limitations associated with the adoption of the scale. Design/methodology/approach: The data collection process was done through an exhaustive search of the largest well-known databases and search engines such as ScienceDirect, Emerald Insight, EBSCOhost, ABI/INFORM and Google Scholar. Results: The dimensional structure of E-S-QUAL appears to be very unstable, even within a given sector. However, the general results revealed that the scale is effective in capturing the core e-service quality since it has been to a certain extent successfully replicated and applied in 11 countries and a variety of e-service settings. The dimensions of efficiency, system availability and privacy appear consistently in the various models regardless of the type of e-service. In contrast, the dimension of fulfilment seems not to be generic but specific to particular e-service contexts such as websites selling physical goods. Management implication: Providing the scale dimensional structure appears to be very unstable, both scholars and practitioners must assess the underlying factor structure of their data before drawing any conclusions from their study. Managers should be careful in applying the fulfilment dimension in contexts that have few elements in common with industry-specific which the sites did not promised about order delivery and item availability that must not be shipped.