Developing a scale for gamified e-service quality in the e-retailing industry

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to develop a validated scale that can help in measuring the gamified e-service quality (GE-SQ) in the e-retailing industry.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a mixed-method approach to develop and validate a scale for GE-SQ. First, reviewing the literature and interviewing with 14 experts were conducted to explore the initial items and themes. A sample of 215 participants was collected from online customers in Iran. Explanatory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted to this sample to validate the categorized themes. Next, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to confirm the validity of the established dimensions by a sample of 549 online customers.FindingsThe results extracted 26 items and categorized them to 6 dimensions. “Ease of use”, “reliability”, “emotional appeal”, “interactivity”, “security” and “visual appeal” have been identified as the dimensions of the GE-SQ scale in the e-retailing industry. The validity of the developed scale containing 6 dimensions and 26 items was confirmed.Originality/valueThis research identified GE-SQ as a valid and reliable scale with six dimensions for measuring e-service quality in e-retailing. This finding has made significant academic contributions to the service quality and the retailing literature.