Identifying How E-Service Quality Affects Perceived Usefulness of Online Reviews in Post-COVID-19 Context: A Sustainable Food Consumption Behavior Paradigm

Abstract

In this study, the concept of online food purchasing is explored where consumers are not required to visit markets to purchase their foods, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between perceived e-service quality and related customer service outcomes in online shopping context. The influence of sustainable marketing practices in terms of perceived e-service quality (ESQ), perceived usefulness of online reviews (PUO), brand self-connection (BSC), personal innovativeness (PRI), and willingness to pay for online food services (WPO) has largely been neglected in the previous studies. The present study proposes a conceptual model to fill this gap and empirically examines how ESQ affects PUO, BSC, WPO, and e-word-of-mouth (e-WOM) of food delivery service brands. An online questionnaire survey was conducted with 423 customers utilizing the PLS-SEM-based approach to determine product indicators. Empirical results reveal that ESQ significantly influence BSC and PUO. In the same vein, PUO significantly influence BSC, while BSC significantly influence e-WOM and WPO. The results further indicate that PRI moderates the relationship between ESQ and BSC. In a post-pandemic context, our analysis indicates enormous implications for food service delivery brands in emerging economies. Online food service providers should consider reviewers’ opinions about the products and services they offer and encourage their customers to write positive reviews of the products and services they offer.