Investigating the construct validity of quality measures influencing online shopping in a South African context

Yu-Ting Hung-Joubert

doi:10.1515/mmcks-2017-0023

Abstract

AbstractOnline shopping has become popular over the years and is a widely used way to purchase goods and services. For online retailers to succeed, it is important that they have a quality website to attract and retain customers. The aim of this study was to investigate the construct validity of three respective measurement instruments related to website quality factors, namely; system, information and service quality factors, which may influence consumers within the online shopping environment in a South African context. Primary data was collected through self-administered questionnaires. The demographic and online shopping profile of the sample are presented and followed by confirmatory and exploratory factors analyses on the three instruments. The confirmatory factor analysis found poor fit for the original hypothesised models for each of the scales; further exploratory factor analyses revealed slightly different dimensionalities underlying the scales, yet these were still somewhat aligned with the theoretical framework from which the original scales were derived. Despite this, the study provides a platform for future revision of the scales and future research into website quality factors within the online shopping environment in a South African context.

Highlights

E-commerce has grown significantly over the years and has become an essential part of a consumers’ life (Cebi, 2013), as well as an important channel for businesses (Chiu, Wang, et al, 2012)
Aim The aim of the study was to investigate the construct validity of three respective measurement instruments related to website quality factors, namely; system quality factors, information quality factors and service quality factors, within the online shopping environment which may influence consumers in a South African context
The study provides a general outline for online retailers operating in South Africa on the quality factors that should be taken into consideration with regards to their shopping website

Summary

Introduction

E-commerce has grown significantly over the years and has become an essential part of a consumers’ life (Cebi, 2013), as well as an important channel for businesses (Chiu, Wang, et al, 2012). The most popular aspect of e-commerce, has become increasingly common (Sam and Tahir, 2009; Hsieh and Tsao, 2014). Even though the South African online shopping market is still relatively small compared global markets, accounting for 1.2% of South Africa retail sales, it is still rising (Prinsloo, 2016). A quality website ensures better online experiences, which is important for consumers and is crucial for online retailers as it attracts and retains customers (Hasanov and Khalid, 2012). According to Bilgihan and Bujisic (2014) online shopping is unique in the sense that users base their judgement on what is presented on the website. Online retailers are becoming increasingly mindful of the quality of their websites (AlManasra et al, 2013)

Objectives

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Discussion

Conclusion