HUNT FOR A NEW DIMENSION ON E-SQ - A REVIEW

Transcription

1 HUNT FOR A NEW DIMENSION ON E-SQ - A REVIEW Mr. JOSEPH VARGHESE Research Scholar, Karunya School of Management Karunya University, Coimbatore jovarthot@gmail.com Dr. J. CLEMENT SUDHAHAR Professor and Head, Karunya School of Management Karunya University, Coimbatore. clement@karunya.edu ABSTRACT As Internet is prominently fast approaching in the global market, industries formed the new technology for information and communication to offer e-services to their customers. The prescribed article opens up a light to address e-service quality hurdles in the dominating electronic marketplace (purchase and sale on internet). The requirement of the article is in giving another step ahead, where describes the main service quality dimensions in the realm of e-service. The article identifies a new different approach that can be implemented in the e-service quality dimensions on the aspect of a review to a new and improved development on the area of e-service quality scales and the SERVQUAL scale. This article flowers out a 10-scale of dimension for calculating e-service quality by rephrasing the SERVQUAL instrument: Website design, Layout, Reliability, Personalization, Product Information, Responsiveness, Security, Delivery, Customer Support/Service. The article concludes by improvising areas for the future research of e-service quality. KEYWORDS Service Quality, ServQual, Quality, E-SQ, Dimensions, Internet, Website, Global Market, Minimalistic.

2 INTRODUCTION Changes have been predominantly in a booming stage at the Internet and the Global market. The industries have taken up and implemented the new idea of information and communication technology for their benefits of activities and performance and appraisal for the company and also to give a firm hand for those coming with new trendy and opportunity ideas, from Internet. E-Commerce activities dealing in business completely vary apart from the other traditional opportunities. Now a day all the companies are providing Internet and online business via fully establishing the online portals, that in turn as new and upcoming pavement to insect a smooth running of business. Customers can make a purchase via the company s website and earn a hassle free transactional and saves time and energy. This internet and website provides the companies or firms to have an uninterrupted access to the global market with a minimalistic cost in running and maximizing in comforting the customers to provide a better and excellent e-service with fantastic quality as the customers have never been dealt before. To achieve this, the companies themselves are running with each other to show who can give the best service on the website and quality to the customer to maintain a good decor for a successful relationship. E-service quality has been increasing strongly in research. E-service has wide variety from the old-school method on Service, which is based on flow of a continuous streamline among customer and service deliverers. E-service quality is actually considered a great omnipotent to give a good strategic benefit, but it also provides a big leap to enhance the operational efficiency and profitability as said by Cronin and Zeithamal in their articles on Service marketing, Service Quality and Profitability respectively. strongly turning into an even more crucial part to maintain and attract customers. The main leg that is making the online customers come back again and again to online portals is the loyalty that has been showed and attained with a good service. According to Oliveria et al. (2002) concluded on her article that companies can gain a good repo by providing e-services to customer. Service quality has a very strong and covers a wide impact on customer satisfaction based on the performance of companies. Improving e-service quality and maintaining and attracting customers has been widely spread as a major and challenging issue. Studies have held on various dimensions of e-service quality. The main streaming line for this article is showing and analyzing the current researches on the dimensions of e- service quality, and come out with a proposal for a new scale for e-service quality, for better insight to dimensions of e-service quality. SERVQUAL SCALE FOR MEASURING SERVICE QUALITY The SERVQUAL scale was created by Parasuraman et al. (1985, 1988), is the founder of ServQual with an insight to provide a special tool for analyzing ServQual in Namex International Journal of Management Research 32 Volume 6, Issue No. 2, July Dec. 2016

3 a broader range. Commonly used SERVQUAL instrument that is widely used by consisting of five dimensions, which are based on the original ten dimensions developed by them based on Parasuraman and Zeithamal. Following below are the five dimensions of SERVQUAL: 1. Tangibles. 2. Reliability. 3. Responsibility. 4. Assurance. 5. Empathy. SERVQUAL is established for calculating value of service in different segments of industries, and e-service by rewording necessarily. According to G-G Lee, and H-F. Lin (2005), in the article about the Perception of E-SQ in online shopping in customers view: No service encounters between the customers and the sales staff as in the traditional service. Service process is almost completed in the virtual environment with some intangible elements. Customers come to their own mindset while purchasing and understanding the business process. When looking between Service Quality and Quality; Service Quality does not help in analyzing Quality, new and sophisticated tool is mandatory to have a proper understanding of the research. 3. Dimensions of e-service quality As e-commerce is in a wide spread area that is covering today s business; prominence on evaluating and analyzing-service Quality has have fully recognized in the virtual world. Authors had done different studies aiming for scales to e-service quality field (See Table 1) Author(s) DIMENSION Context Dabholkar (1996) Zeithaml et al. (2000) Yoo and Douthu (2001) Cox and Dale (2001) Website designs, reliability, delivery, ease of use, enjoyment and control Efficiency, reliability, fulfillment, privacy, responsiveness, compensation, and contact. Ease of use, aesthetic design, processing speed, and security. Website appearance, communication, accessibility, credibility, understanding and availability. Namex International Journal of Management Research 33 Volume 6, Issue No. 2, July Dec. 2016

4 Jun and Cai (2001) Yang (2001) Wolfinbargr and Gilly(2002, 2003) Zeithaml et al. (2002) Madu and Madu (2002) Loiacono et al. (2002) Yang and Jun (2002) Surjadaja et al. (2003) Santos (2003) Yang et al. (2003) Yang et al. (2004) Website design, information, eases of use, access, courtesy, responsiveness, and reliability. Website design, security and information. Website design, reliability, security, and customer service. Security, communication, reliability, responsiveness and delivery. Performance, features, structure, aesthetics, reliability, serviceability, security and system integrity, trust, responsiveness, service differentiation and customization, Web store police, reputation, assurance and empathy. Information, interactivity, trust, response time, website design, intuitiveness, flow, innovativeness, integrated communication, business process and substitutability. Website design, security, reliability, responsiveness, accessibility and customization Security, interaction, responsiveness, information, reliability, delivery, and customization. Ease of use, appearance, linkage, structure, content, efficiency, reliability, communication, security, incentive and customer support Responsiveness, credibility, eases of use, reliability, convenience, communication, access, competence, courtesy, personalization, collaboration, security and aesthetics. Reliability, responsiveness, competence, eases of use, security and product portfolio. Banking Retiling Shopping Sites Shopping Sites Field et al. (2004) Website design, reliability, security, and customer service. Kim and Stoel (2004) Web appearance, entertainment, information, transaction Yang and Fang Responsiveness, reliability, credibility, competence, access, Gounaris et al. (2005) Parasuraman et.al (2005) Lee and Lin (2005) Kim et al. (2006) Fassnacht and Koese (2006) Cristobal et al Sohn and Tadisina (2008) Website design, information, trust, responsiveness and reputation. Efficiency, availability, fulfillment, privacy, responsiveness, compensation and contact. Website design, reliability, responsiveness, trust and personalization Efficiency, fulfillment, system availability, privacy, responsiveness, compensation, contact, information and graphic style. Graphic quality, layout, attractiveness of selection, information, ease of use, technical quality, reliability, functional benefit and emotional benefit. Website design, customer service, assurance and order management. Trust, speed of delivery, reliability, ease of use, customized communication, website content and functionality Financial Namex International Journal of Management Research 34 Volume 6, Issue No. 2, July Dec. 2016

5 Source: Service As most researches developed till now have created based on reworking or remodeling the Service Quality instrument created previously by Parasuraman et.al. Fast forwarded a bunch of years Zeithaml (2000) came up with a 7-dimension e- service quality by reframing Service Quality to create a new era on Quality (E-SQ). As said by V.A. Zeithaml, (2000), Service quality, profitability and the economic worth of customers: What we know and what we need to learn. Further again in the future Zeithamal and Parasuraman (2005) did a study for evaluating E-SQ that is on their earlier Service Quality and came up with a new and improved E-SQ scale. Initially Quality was of 11 dimension and on the year 2005 only as said earlier A. Parasuraman, V.A. Zeithaml, and A. Malhotra (2005), E-S-QUAL: A multiple-item scale for assessing electronic service quality gave the 7 dimension model that consist of Efficiency, System Availability, Fulfillment, Privacy, Responsiveness, Compensation and Contact. Current studies is a mixture of traditional and web interface quality as discussed by various authors like: Dabholkar in the year 1996 did a research on e- service quality focus to web site design, and made a statement that 7 parameters are the main on E-SQ. According to Cox and Dale in 2001, made a scale of 6-dimension to evaluate the service quality for online retailing. In the year 2001, Yoo and Donthu created a 4-dimension as SITEQUAL for checking the quality of website of stores. By the year 2002, Madu and Madu formulated a 15 dimensions scale on the quality of e-service that mainly focused on understanding of customers and providing services. Yang and Jun (2002) made a research on online-purchaser and non-purchase. According to Wolfinbarger and Gilly (2002) created an e-service quality scale in online shopping, it was titled as COMQ and later to etailq. Lociacono et al. On the year 2002 came up to a scale of 12 dimensions named WEBQUAL for evaluate the service quality for online retailing. According to Santos (2003) states dimensions were a prominent fact on e-service quality and gave a scale of 11 sub-dimensions. Field et al. (2004) formulated model in assessing as well as improving the quality by identifying e-service objects and transactions between those objects on making up a dimension with more quality. As mentioned previously, Parasurnaman et al. (2005) created the service delivery dimensions and services delivery on recovery in E-SQ. Sohn and Tadisina on 2008 put a model for 6-dimension for assessing e-service quality based empirical study in financial institutions via online. After a couple of years Yang and Fang on 2004 tested the various dimensions to satisfaction and dissatisfaction of online service. In that study 4 factors are treated as same that urge ahead to both satisfaction and dissatisfaction, (Responsiveness, Reliability, Ease of Use and Competence). Kim et al. on 2006 enlarged the scale of Parasuraman et al. to 9 Namex International Journal of Management Research 35 Volume 6, Issue No. 2, July Dec. 2016

6 dimensions scale for measuring the quality of service on websites on online retailing of apparel. A PROPOSED SCALE FOR MEASURING E-SERVICE QUALITY After clearly understanding the above mentioned (see Table: 1) dimension by various authors, it gave a new insight to a new 10 scale dimension to our new age marketing era on the e-service quality stream. The new scale recognizes the ServQual dimension whose nature maintained on e-service field, and develop new dimensions which recognize the e-service. Scale developed is based on the ServQual and additional factors or dimensions has been added in between to make it up as market for the present new age market scenario. WEBSITE DESIGN The physical facilities seen on online portals a reformed word for Tangibility on ServQual. In online environment, the physical facility that can be viewed with our eyes primarily has to focus on Website Design. As the main key to a firms purchase process. A fault in the afore mentioned could lead to an exit from purchase process. Website is the starting point for customers to gain confidence. LAYOUT In some earlier studies, the layout of the online retailing and e-service provided has got a strong support in providing a good e-service quality. The font size, color and appearance of the website, accessibility. RELIABILITY Based on empirical studies, Reliability a prime factor on e-service quality, the same is also a major part in SERVQUAL. In Environment, it is vital for having customers trust which the company performs and the promises that the company says. As matters like this has to be tackled so that the customer will never be able to move out from the companies online. PRODUCT INFORMATION E-service has to keep the information service open to viewer as well as customers. Information or Product Information is as major fact the customers rely upon, the customers are not able to physically feel it an examine the different parts, so Customers need adequate information to make their purchase. PERSONALIZATION Customers and Companies interactivity has to be so strong and then automatically comes the Personalization, once this dimension is available for the customer, whatever the customer wants can be fully customized based on his preference and can do the Namex International Journal of Management Research 36 Volume 6, Issue No. 2, July Dec. 2016

7 purchase as he wants based on his rules and conditions. The company themselves will get a much clearer picture what the customer wants and needs. Personalization improve Satisfaction, customers will be hesitant to try out other companies not only on Service and Products but also on the monetary terms too. RESPONSIVENESS In SERVQUAL the term Responsiveness also takes a major role. Responsiveness in E-SQ has narrow ideology. When a customer has a problem or a doubt prompt and accurate responsiveness has to be delivered without interruption so that the purchase process will also keep on going ahead without any hindrance. SECURITY The most important term now a days that has to be kept daily is the Security (Riskless/Danger less/tensionless). Security has a strong and vital role in today s online shopping scenario, If the company is able to give the customers money dealings in a dignified manner without any interruption in the to and fro of both from the customer side as well as company side, that itself will help the online portal to fetch an excellent goodwill in the hearts of Customers. DELIVERY When the purchase is done, the companies job is not over, that is in the real world market as well as in the online portal too, the Delivery of the Product or Service rendered by the e-customer has to be provided with the right time without any errors or defaults. Information passing regarding the Product or Service has to be done properly. A simple error will spoil the Good repo that the Company has created till the Purchase time. So Delivery has to be kept as strong. CUSTOMER SUPPORT / SERVICE Although as there is no human interaction between the company and customer, the After sales service or Customer Service or Customer Support has to be handles with the same and equal significance, if not, the image built up will be like a paint drawn on Ice. Providing Empathy is the main core for this. These are the 10 factors or dimensions which came across after clearly recognizing the above mentioned Authors various dimensions created so far. In this study on the finding of the new Dimension to Quality. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION After a thorough research conducted on Quality (E-SQ) dimension that were been formulated by various Authors (see Table 1) A new and different dimension was able to be formulated after having a clear picture in the Literature Review. differs widely from service quality. In the presently study held on Namex International Journal of Management Research 37 Volume 6, Issue No. 2, July Dec. 2016

8 dimensions that are prominently required to know the present scenario in online customer satisfaction by remodeling and reformulating the ServQual. Website Design is treated as Tangible, Reliability treated as maintain to be highly important. Responsiveness is thinner concept to ServQual. Assurance is been handled by Security and last but not the least Empathy in the new dimension formulated gives a Customer Service/Customer Support that makes it more helpful. And following other dimensions were treated as important that can be completely be made a bigger and better important part in the new proposed 10 dimension (i.e.) Layout, Personalization, Product Information, Delivery. As e-service quality is considered as an important factor in the virtual world of companies. The model or scale that has been created in this research article can be treated a s a new frame for e-service quality. This study conducted may be a stepping stone for the companies to think or rethink about their e-service or for people who are thinking to go online for their products or service and who wants to prevail out customer satisfaction, and in the long run make the company earn sufficient Profit and win in the new age of marketing and business completeness. A chance for further opportunity on evaluating of e-service quality in the context of pure service sectors the factors which have impact on customers perception of e- service quality and satisfaction, and the relationship between e-service quality, customer satisfaction and retention to e-service adoption. REFERENCES A. Parasuraman, V.A. Zeithaml, and A. Malhotra (2005), E-S-QUAL: A Multiple-Item Scale For Assessing Electronic Service Quality, Journal of Service Research, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp A. Parasuraman, V.A. Zeithaml, and L.L. Berry (1985), A Conceptual Model of Service Quality and Its Implications for Future Research, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 49, autumn, pp A. Parasuraman, V.A. Zeithaml, and L.L. Berry (1988), SERVQUAL: A Multiple-Item Scale For Measuring Consumer Perceptions Of Service Quality, Journal of, Vol. 64, No. 1, pp B. Yoo, and N. Donthu, (2001), Developing A Scale To Measure Perceived Quality Of An Internet Shopping Site (SITEQUAL), Quarterly Journal of Electronic Commerce, Vol. 2 No. 1, pp C.N. Madu, and A.A. Madu (2002), Dimensions Of E-Quality, International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, Vol. 19 No. 3, pp C. Sohn, and S.K. Tadisina, (2008). Development of Quality Measure for the Internet-Based Financial Institutions, Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, Vol.19 No.9, pp Namex International Journal of Management Research 38 Volume 6, Issue No. 2, July Dec. 2016

9 E. Cristoal, C. Flavian, and M. Guinaliu (2007), Perceived Quality: Measurement Validity and Effects on Consumer Satisfaction and Web Site Loyalty, Managing Service Quality, Vol. 17 No. 3, pp E.T. Loiacono, R.T. Watson, and D.L. Hoodhue, (2002), WEBQUAL: Measure of Web Site Quality, 2002 Marketing Educators Conference: Marketing Theory and Applications, Vol. 13, pp G-G Lee and H-F. Lin (2005), Customer Perceptions of Quality in Shopping, International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 33 No. 2, pp H. Surjadaja, S. Ghosh, and F. Antony, (2003), Determinants and Assessing the Determinants of Operation, Managing Service Quality, Vol.13 No 1, pp J. Cox, and B.G. Dale, (2001), Service Quality and E-Commerce: An Exploratory Analysis, Managing Service Quality, Vol. 11 No. 2, pp J.J. Cronin (2003), Looking Back To See Forward In Services Marketing: Some Ideas To Consider, Managing Service Quality, Vol. 13 No. 5, pp J.M. Field, G.R. Heim, and K.K. Sinha (2004), Managing Quality in the System: Development and Application of A Process Model, Production and Operations Management, Vol. 13 No. 4, pp J. Rowley (2006), An Analysis of the Literature: Towards A Research Agenda, Internet Research, Vol. 16 No. 3, pp J. Santos (2003), Quality - A Model of Virtual Service Dimensions, Managing Service Quality, Vol. 13 No. 3, pp K. Waite (2006), Task Scenario Effects On Bank Web Site Expectations, Internet Research, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp M. Fassnacht, and I. Koese (2006), Quality of Electronic Services: Conceptualizing and Testing A Hierarchical Model, Journal of Service Research, Vol. 9 No. 1, pp M.F. Wolfinbarger, and M.C. Gilly (2002), COMQ: Dimensionalizing, Measuring And Predicting Quality Of The E-Tailing Experience, working paper, Marketing Science Institute, Cambridge MA, pp M.F. Wolfinbarger, and M.C. Gilly (2003), ETAILQ: Dimensionalizing, Measuring And Predicting E-Tailing Quality, Journal of, Vol.79 No.3, pp M. Jun, and S. Cai, (2001), The Key Determinants Of Internet Banking Service Quality: A Content Analysis, International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 19 No. 7, pp M. Kim, and L. Stoel, (2004), Apparel Retailers: Web Site Quality Dimensions And Satisfaction, Journal of and Consumer Services, Vol. 11, pp Namex International Journal of Management Research 39 Volume 6, Issue No. 2, July Dec. 2016

10 M. Kim, J-H. Kim, and S.J. Lennon (2006), Service Attributes Available On Apparel Retail Web Sites: An E-S-QUAL Approach, Managing Service Quality, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp P. Dabholkar (1996), Consumer Evaluations Of New Technology-Based Self-Service Options: An Investigation Of Alternative Modes Of Service Quality, International Journal of Research in Marketing, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp P. Oliveir, A.V. Roth, and W. Gilland (2002), Achieving Competitive Capabilities In E- Services, Technological Forecasting & Social Change, Vol. 69, pp S. Gounaris, S. Dimitriadis, and V. Stathakopoulos (2005), Antecedents Of Perceived Quality In The Context Of Internet Retail Stores, Journal of Marketing Management, Vol. 21 No. 7, pp V.A. Zeithaml, (2000), Service Quality, Profitability And The Economic Worth Of Customers: What We Know And What We Need To Learn, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 28 No. 1, pp V.A. Zeithaml (2002), Service Excellence In Electronic Channels, Managing Service Quality, Vol. 12 No. 3, pp V.A. Zeithaml, A. Parasuraman, and A. Malhotra (2000), A Conceptual Framework For Understanding Quality: Implications For Future Research And Managerial Practice, MSI Working Paper Series No , Cambridge, MA, pp V.A. Zeithaml, A. Parasuraman, and A. Malhotra (2002), Service Quality Delivery Through Web Sites: A Critical Review Of Extant Knowledge, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 30 No. 4, pp Z. Yang, and X. Fang (2004), Service Quality Dimensions And Their Relationships With Satisfaction: A Content Analysis Of Customer Reviews Of Securities Brokerage Services, International Journal of Service Industry Management, Vol. 15 No. 3, pp Z. Yang, (2001), Consumer Perceptions Of Service Quality In Internet-Based Electronic Commerce, Proceedings of the EMAC Conference, 8-11 May 2001, Bergen. Z. Yang, and M. Jun, (2002) Consumer Perception Of Quality: From Internet Purchaser And Non-Purchaser Perspectives, Journal of Business Strategies, Vol. 19 No. 1, pp Z. Yang, M. Jun, and R.T. Peterson (2004), Measuring Customer Perceived Service Quality: Scale Development And Managerial Implications, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 24 No. 11, pp Z. Yang, R.T. Peterson, and S. Cai, (2003), Services Quality Dimensions Of Internet : An Exploratory Analysis, Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 17 No. 7, pp Namex International Journal of Management Research 40 Volume 6, Issue No. 2, July Dec. 2016