Do Online Services Contribute to Establishing Brand Equity Within the Retail Banking Context?

Abstract

The main purpose of this article is to investigate the relationship between online service quality factors and brand equity within the United Arab Emirates (UAE) banking context. This article is the first in the literature to investigate the role of online service quality in establishing bank equity. There had been some speculation on the link between online quality and equity, but no empirical evidence had been found in previous research. In this study a conceptual model was proposed of the relationship between online service quality factors and brand equity factors within the UAE banking context. A survey was designed and data collected from a convenience sample of online banking users. AMOS 6 was used to test the hypothesized relationships. E-escape and security factors have a direct and positive relationship with brand awareness as well as brand image. E-responsiveness has a direct influence on bank brand image. The ease-of-use factor has no relationship either with brand image or with awareness. None of the online service quality factors have a direct relationship with brand loyalty. However, most online service factors influence brand loyalty indirectly through brand image and awareness. This research has been applied to financial institutions in the UAE. Further testing of the proposed conceptual model across different industries and countries is needed to determine the generalizability and consistency of this study's findings.