E-service Contexts Research Articles

Fuzzy Logic Analysis for Key Factors for Customer Loyalty in E-Shopping Environment.

Due to subjective evaluation and qualitative characteristics, the assessment processes of loyalty often cannot use the crisp value to express the final value. That makes the evaluation of online store performance usually filled with uncertainty and ambiguity. The loyalty assessment of electronic shopping is complex, and online stores' strategy and production control problems are frequently accompanied by uncertain conditions. This study constructs a conceptual model to leverage the fuzzy logic approach for understanding the consumers' decision-making in the e-service context of shopping. This study also exposes the relationships between system quality, information quality, and service quality to understand their impacts on customer loyalty. Implications and future research directions for service providers and researchers are discussed.

The Impact of E-Service Quality On Customer Engagement, Customer Experience and Customer Loyalty in B2c E-Commerce

The purpose of this research is to examine the correlation of e-service quality, customers’ experience, customers’ engagement, and customers’ loyalty within B2C e-commerce. This paper describes a theoretical model for investigating the main dimension that influences on e-service context for loyalty: website design, fulfillment/reliability, customer service and security/privacy. Survey data were collected from 205 respondents who had made transactions through B2C e-commerce website in the last six months. The partial least squares technique was applied to test the research model. Based on the theoretical model, a comprehensive set of hypotheses were formulated and a methodology for testing them was outlined. These hypotheses were tested empirically to demonstrate the applicability of the theoretical model. The results indicate that customer experiences are influenced by e-service quality, customer engagement alongside with loyalties with B2C E-commerce. Meanwhile the other two factors, customer engagement and e-service quality were not influential to customer loyalty. This study offers a new understanding of customer loyalty in B2C e-commerce..

Measuring e-service quality: a review of literature

In the competitive electronic service (e-service) context, favourable consumer perception about performance is the key to success and marketers are keen to explore consumers' perceived service quality. Therefore, several scales have been developed to evaluate electronic service quality (e-SQ) in different contexts. This study explores methodological issues relating to the scale development process while undertaking content analysis of e-SQ literature. The study also focuses on the identification of crucial dimensions of e-SQ measurement scale in different e-service contexts. The review indicates that privacy and security, website design, responsiveness, efficiency, reliability, ease of use and system availability are prominent measures of e-SQ regardless of the context. This study also provides a comprehensive framework including antecedents and outcomes of e-SQ to help managers and researchers in evaluating e-SQ.

The role of structural assurance on previous satisfaction, trust and continuance intention

Purpose Varied accounts exist regarding the role of trust and satisfaction in online continuance intention and contexts within which this occurs. The purpose of this paper is to consider the moderating effect of structural assurance (SA) on satisfaction and trust and trust and continuance intention in a pure e-service context (online betting). Design/methodology/approach UK online bettors were surveyed with an instrument developed using validated variables and measurements, including continuance intention, satisfaction, trust (in vendor) and SA. Structural equation modeling with partial least squares was used to evaluate the measurement and structural model simultaneously. Findings SA positively moderates the trust–continuance intention relationship but not the satisfaction–trust relationship. SA is positively associated with trust. Research limitations/implications The study contributes to research focused on exploring the moderating effects of trust and satisfaction on continuance intention where institution-based mechanisms are perceived to be effective and framed to assure success. Practical implications An over-reliance on context-specific mechanisms is inadequate; strategic approaches to trust must consider contextual and institutional mechanisms interdependently. Originality/value The paper addresses the need for research relating to the institutional context within which trust mechanisms operate. This research provides a novel contribution through an exploration of the moderating effects of SA on: trust and continuance intention; and satisfaction and trust (the authors also measure the direct effect of SA on trust). This paper is one of the first studies to examine these important concepts in this context. The online betting case allows for the exploration of risk where vendor-specific and contextual risk are both high.

Human-computer interaction and value co-creation in electronic service

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of human-computer interaction (HCI) on customers’ perceived electronic service (e-service) value and the mediating role of task-technology fit (TTF) in that effect.Design/methodology/approachThis paper develops a model based on service-dominant logic (SDL) and TTF theory, and validates it using a hierarchical regression with the data collected from 634 online banking customers in Guangdong Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in China.FindingsThe findings reveal that HCI in e-service contexts comprises five components. Three fundamental components (i.e. technology functionality, customer technology readiness and task routine) contribute to value co-creation. Two core components (i.e. interaction between customer technology readiness and technology functionality, and interaction between task routine and technology functionality) are inhibitors, but the inhibitory effect of the former is only significant in the Guangdong sample. TTF takes a mediating role in these relationships, but the mediating effect of the former core component is only significant in the Guangdong sample.Originality/valueThis paper explains two basic questions about the trigger points of value co-creation in e-service contexts (i.e. what their operational definitions are and how to measure them) and unlocks the “black box” of value co-creation by taking TTF as a mediator. SDL and TTF theory are extended. The paper provides suggestions for how practitioners can efficiently advance value co-creation with customers.

CCV Scale: Development and Validation of Customer Co-Created Value Scale in E-Services

The present study aims to conceptualize, structure, refine and empirically validate a customer co-created value (CCV) scale. Two stage approach has been undertaken for conceptualizing value co-creation: stage 1 involved initial item generation for CCV through qualitative research and purification through exploratory factor analysis; stage 2 comprised validation of CCV using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. Total 19 items were classified into the following five dimensions of CCV: relational, personal, economic, interactive, and experiential. Findings of the study reveal that co-created value significantly affects customer satisfaction. Based on various reliability and validity tests, the considered scale exhibits good psychometric properties. The study seeks to conceptualize and empirically measure value co-created in e-services context.

Managing the development of e-ID in a public e-service context

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse and understand the contemporary management of electronic identification (e-ID) development to: identify and formulate challenges and reflect upon the use of a combination of perspectives. To generate knowledge on this issue, we investigate e-ID development in Sweden from: an e-government systems development lifecycle perspective and a project challenge and critical success factor (CSF) perspective.Design/methodology/approachThis is a qualitative case study covering an analysis of the three years in a larger project focusing e-ID in a public e-service setting. Empirical sources have been face-to-face interviews; official documents and different kind of forums for presentations and discussions in, for example, hearings arranged by authorities; meetings with the coordinating agency, and practitioners’ networks events.FindingsThis study concludes that there are significant challenges involved in managing e-ID development because of its contextual and integrated character. Challenges involve the organization and management of the program and can be traced back to e-government, general project management literature and theory on path dependency. Based on this study, we can question, e.g. governance models, centralization and a narrow focus on the technical artefact. Our study is also an illustration of a possible way to analyse e-ID within an e-government initiative.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study shows that an e-ID can be considered as a back office-enabler for launching e-services, but also highlights the need for management of the artefact as an integral part of e-service development because it is intertwined with the use of e-services from a user perspective. This aspect together with the insights related to challenges and success factors including path dependency provides implications for future practice of e-ID management and development in particular and information systems artefact development in general.Originality/valueThis paper addresses challenges related to the development of e-ID in a public e-service setting. Few studies have theoretically combined a lifecycle perspective on challenges and success factors related to e-ID development while also focusing different dimensions of path dependency as an example of a challenging area within a program frame. Studying e-ID as a contemporary phenomenon from a contextual perspective in line with sociomaterial thinking – with a focus on the interplay between technology and people –can also help us to understand and discuss artefact development in general.

The impacts of unique service resources and habit on e-service loyalty in a highly competitive market

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to seek to quantify how unique service resources and consumer habit affect e-service loyalty (e-loyalty) in a highly competitive market. This study is grounded on Chinese social networking service (SNS) industry. A resource-based view is introduced as an alternative perspective to understand building consumer loyalty in e-service contexts. Design/methodology/approach – A research framework is developed by reviewing prior literature. An online survey is conducted to collect research data. Based on 221 valid responses, the research model is tested by using partial least squares path modeling technique. Findings – The features of market environments affects the loyalty of consumers to e-service providers. Consumers become mercenary in highly competitive and low differentiation e-service markets like Chinese SNS industry. The interaction of satisfaction and switching cost affects loyalty. Satisfied consumers can be either loyal or not loyal to a service provider depending on their level of switching cost, but unsatisfied consumers will have no loyalty. In addition, users are loyal to a SNS partly because it is their habit to use the service. Our study suggests that relying on consumer satisfaction to build e-loyalty may be problematic and risky. Originality/value – The study represents an attempt to introduce the resource-based view to e-loyalty research. The research highlights the importance of habit in building consumers’ e-service satisfaction and loyalty and contributes to new insights on the importance of industry environment in determining e-service satisfaction–loyalty relationship based on studying consumers in a highly competitive market.

Integrating Service Quality with System and Information Quality: An Empirical Test in the E-Service Context

Wixom and Todd (2005) integrated the user satisfaction and the technology acceptance literatures to theorize about and account for the influence of the information technology artifact on usage. Based on Wixom and Todd's integrated model of technology usage, we propose the 3Q model by investigating the role of service quality (SQ), in addition to system quality (SysQ) and information quality (IQ), in website adoption. Attention to SQ is critical, as consumer websites have increasingly become the target of SQ assessment made by consumers, not just traditional SysQ and IQ evaluations. As part of our study, we further theorize and empirically test the relationships among these three types of quality constructs and hypothesize that perceived SysQ influences perceived IQ and perceived SQ, and perceived IQ influences perceived SQ. Our study extends the Wixom and Todd model in the e-service context and is the first of its kind to empirically examine the combined impact of perceived SQ, perceived SysQ, and perceived IQ on usage intention. Our study advances the theoretical understanding of SQ and the relationships among perceptions of SysQ, IQ, and SQ in the e-service context. The results also inform practitioners that high IQ and SysQ can directly or indirectly improve SQ in the e-service context.

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

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.

The customer satisfaction–loyalty relation in an interactive e-service setting: The mediators

This study aims to examine the relation between customer satisfaction and loyalty through the introduction of commitment, trust, involvement and perceived value as mediators in the e-service context. An online consumer survey on selected web auction sites was used for the data collection. The findings suggest that customer satisfaction is an essential ingredient for service loyalty, but that mediators exist between satisfaction and loyalty. Commitment, trust and involvement are each proven to be partial mediators between satisfaction and loyalty, while perceived value is proven to be a complete mediator. The results have implications for the retention of satisfied customers in an interactive e-service setting.

Measuring E-Service Quality: Reviewing E-S-QUAL

The absence of a valid and reliable scale to measure e-service quality forced early researchers to make use of some fairly unsatisfactory alternatives. To improve these previous studies, Parasuraman et al. (2005) developed and operationalized E-S-QUAL, a multi-item scale for examining website service quality. This study reviews the literature on E-S-QUAL focusing particularly on the methodology used, new suggestions to be made, and limitations associated with the adoption of the scale. The review shows that the scale is effective in capturing core e-service quality. The dimensions of efficiency, system availability and privacy are represented consistently in the various models, regardless of the type of e-service. In contrast, the dimension of fulfillment appears not to be generic but specific to particular e-service contexts such as websites selling physical goods. This study is the first to undertake an extensive literature review of the development of e-service quality scales and to provide important insights into the application of E-S-QUAL.

A PILOT STUDY FOR UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIPS OF INFORMATION SYSTEM QUALITY, RELATIONSHIP QUALITY AND LOYALTY

This study develops a conceptual model for understanding the information system quality of relationship quality and loyalty in the e-service context of shopping, and a conceptual model is also introduced. This study tries to conceptualize a model based on the mediator of relationship quality that is applied to understand loyalty in e-shopping websites. In the proposed model, loyalty is influenced by the relationship quality and information system quality. Additionally, three propositions are developed based the proposed model and literature review. Finally, conclusions, managerial implications, and future research are also provided.

Developing e-service quality scales: A literature review

This study reviews the literature on e-service quality (e-SQ), with an emphasis on the methodological issues involved in developing measurement scales and issues related to the dimensionality of the e-SQ construct. We selected numerous studies on e-SQ from well-known databases and subjected them to a thorough content analysis. The review shows that dimensions of e-service quality tend to be contingent on the service industry. Despite the common dimensions often used in evaluating e-SQ, regardless of the type of service on the internet (‘reliability/fulfilment’, ‘responsiveness’, ‘web design’, ‘ease of use/usability’, ‘privacy/security’, and ‘information quality/benefit’), other dimensions are specific to e-service contexts. The study also identifies several conceptual and methodological limitations associated with developing e-SQ measurement such as the lack of a rigorous validation process, the problematic sample size and composition, the focus on functional aspects, and the use of a data-driven approach. This is the first study to undertake an extensive literature review of research on the development of e-SQ scales. The findings should be valuable to academics and practitioners alike.

The intangibility of e-services

This study examines the construct of intangibility within the e-services context and clarifies why business-to-consumer services are made more intangible when they are virtualized and offered as Internet e-services. Clarifying the intangibility of e-services and examining its consequents is important as service providers seek to encourage consumers to use lower-cost e-services. This research specifically develops theory to explain how and why an e-service's intangibility can increase consumer beliefs that it is risky to use, and furthermore removes the risk-reducing effect of the e-service's perceived ease of use. These consequents of an e-service's intangibility are important to clarify because e-service's usage is based in part on beliefs that they are safe and easy to use. Results from a structural equation model-based analysis of consumer survey data supported these two hypothesized effects. More specifically, the performance, financial, and privacy risk dimensions were most affected by consumers' experience of mental intangibility regarding the e-service. In addition, a qualification of a previously reported risk-reducing strategy for e-service providers was identified. Only when consumers' mental intangibility was low (i.e., they had a clear mental picture of the e-service) did the e-service's perceived ease of use function as a risk-reducing factor. An e-service's intangibility may indirectly impede consumer usage of a range of e-services. Theoretical and practical implications are offered.

Does relationship quality matter in e-services? A comparison of online and offline retailing

The quality of the relationship between customers and service firms has been found to be a major driver of customer loyalty in traditional (i.e., offline) service contexts. The increasing use of electronic services, or e-services, raises questions concerning the extent to which the relationship quality-customer loyalty link holds in an e-service context. Based on an extended model of relationship quality and by applying the social information processing perspective, this research tests the relevance of relationship quality for online relationships and explores differences of the relationship quality-loyalty link between online and offline retailers. To test the model, a large-scale study is conducted on both online and offline relationships for two service contexts (media and travel retailing). Using multi-group structural equation modeling, the authors identify differences between the online and offline environment in both service contexts. Results show that (1) relationship quality is similarly important for retaining customers online and offline and (2) differences in the impact of relationship-quality dimensions strongly depends on the service context.

The role of social presence in establishing loyalty in e-Service environments

Compared to offline shopping, the online shopping experience may be viewed as lacking human warmth and sociability as it is more impersonal, anonymous, automated and generally devoid of face-to-face interactions. Thus, understanding how to create customer loyalty in online environments (e-Loyalty) is a complex process. In this paper a model for e-Loyalty is proposed and used to examine how varied conditions of social presence in a B2C e-Services context influence e-Loyalty and its antecedents of perceived usefulness, trust and enjoyment. This model is examined through an empirical study involving 185 subjects using structural equation modeling techniques. Further analysis is conducted to reveal gender differences concerning hedonic elements in the model on e-Loyalty.

A Multivariate and Latent Class Analysis of Consumer Decision Quality Measures in an E-Service Context

Electronic recommendation agents have the potential to be valuable e-service tools in increasing consumer decision quality. Such agents are aimed at assisting consumers in the decision-making process and have the ability to enable consumers to make better choices for themselves. The definition of what constitutes a good choice in this context however remains unclear. Although a variety of approaches have been used to date, there is no consensus on the best measurement approach. This research reviews the various approaches in a variety of disciplines that have been used to define consumer decision quality to date, proposes new measures and a classification typology and examines the relationships among a subset of these measures from an online experimental choice task. Using multivariate and latent class analysis, the results demonstrate how different types of objective and subjective measures provide complementary ways of evaluating decisions and offer useful summaries of decision quality under a variety of conditions. The most important measures and five latent groups of individuals are identified. When individuals do not seem to make good decisions in terms of the individual measures, we propose an explanation of how their decisions are nearly optimal.