A PSYCHOMETRIC ASSESSMENT OF E-S-QUAL: A SCALE TO MEASURE ELECTRONIC SERVICE QUALITY

Christo Boshoff
Department of Business Management, University of Stellenbosch
Stellenbosch, SOUTH AFRICA
(Dipublikasi pada : Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, VOL 8, NO.1, 2007)

ABSTRACT
As the Internet retailing market grows at an inceasing rate, those who use the Internet as a retailing channel have realised that service delivery and service quality are as important for the Internet environment as for the bricks-and-mortar environment. The absence of a valid and reliable instrument to measure service quality in this new environment has, however, bedeviled the endeavors of both scholars and practitioners to effectively measure and thus manage service-quality strategies. The first scale developed that effectively captured the nature of electronic service quality from the perspective of online shopping through a retail Website was the E-S-QUAL scale.
The objective of this study was to subject the E-S-QUAL scale to a psychometric assessment. The results revealed that the scale is effective in capturing the essence of electronic service quality, but that both scholars and practitioners must assess the underlying factor structure of their data before drawing any conclusions from their study. For this particular data set, a six-factor configuration proved to be superior to the four-factor configuration originally proposed. Several ways in which the data can be analyzed are demonstrated, and suggestions for additional scale development and refinement are offered.

Key words: Internet, Internet retailing, Electronic commerce, Electronic service quality, LISREL

Artikel lengkap dikompilasi oleh/hubungi :
Kanaidi, SE., M.Si (Penulis, Peneliti, Pelaku Bisnis, Trainer dan Dosen Marketing Management)
e-mail : kana_ati@yahoo.com atau kanaidi@poltekpos.ac.id

Analysing customer satisfaction and quality in construction – the case of public and private customers

Sami Kärnä
Helsinki University of Technology
Construction Economics and Management,
FI-02015 HUT, Finland
(2004)

Abstract

Improving quality and customer satisfaction has received considerable attention in recent years. This study examines construction in terms of customer satisfaction and quality. A framework is developed to evaluate the dynamics of customer satisfaction and quality. An empirical analysis is conducted to explore customer satisfaction in construction as perceived by two customer groups: public and private customers.
Results indicate that the need for contractors to improve performance relates mostly to quality assurance, handover procedures and material. Public customers were found to be less satisfi ed with the contractor’s performance than private customers. For a contractor, the main benefi t of high customer satisfaction is the opportunity to remain a customer’s potential partner in the future.

Keywords: construction quality, customer satisfaction, project management.

Artikel lengkap dikompilasi oleh/hubungi :
Kanaidi, SE., M.Si (Penulis, Peneliti, Praktisi Bisnis, Trainer dan Dosen Marketing Management)
e-mail : kana_ati@yahoo.com atau kanaidi@poltekpos.ac.id

Service Quality And Customer Loyalty In A Chinese Context:Does Frequency Of Usage Matter?

Mandy Lei and Lancy Mac

University of Macau

(2005)

Abstract

It is commonly known that good quality service results in long-term customer loyalty (Zeithaml et al, 1996). This study seeks to investigate the relationship between service quality and customer loyalty in the context of Macau, a small city in South China. Based on an empirical study of 387 valid responses, it is found that tangibles, assurance, empathy and responsiveness are important determinants of customer loyalty in the transport service sector.

Besides improving service quality, the public bus service providers should also consider offering differentiated service as it is found that frequency of usage of bus services does moderate the relationship between service quality and customer loyalty. A differentiated offer which meets high and low frequency users’ preferences will improve the overall customer loyalty and thus ensure long term profitability.

Keywords: service quality, customer loyalty, differentiation strategy

Artikel lengkap dikompilasi oleh/hubungi :
Kanaidi, SE., M.Si (Penulis, Pelaku Bisnis, Trainer dan Dosen Marketing Management)
e-mail : kana_ati@yahoo.com atau kanaidi@poltekpos.ac.id

Defining Consumer Satisfaction

Joan L. Giese Washington State University
Joseph A. Cote Washington State University

(2000)

Joan L. Giese, Assistant Professor, Department of Marketing, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-4730.
Joseph A. Cote, Professor, Department of Marketing, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA 98686-9600.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

A review of the existing literature indicates a wide variance in the definitions of satisfaction. The lack of a consensus definition limits the contribution of consumer satisfaction research. Without a uniform definition of satisfaction, researchers are unable to select an appropriate definition for a given context; develop valid measures of satisfaction; and/or compare and interpret empirical results. Consumer satisfaction researchers have contended that these problems are pervasive and important (Gardial, Clemons, Woodruff, Schumann, and Burns 1994; Peterson and Wilson 1992; Yi 1990). This research will:
1. Suggest a definitional framework of consumer satisfaction based on commonalities in the literature and the views of consumers.
2. Discuss how this framework can be used to develop a definition of satisfaction to accommodate different contextual settings.
3. Ensure that our definitions of satisfaction are consistent with consumers' views. This is critical since, ultimately, we must understand consumers’ meanings of satisfaction and consumers must understand what we mean when we use the term, satisfaction.

The Literature and Consumer Views of Satisfaction : While the literature contains significant differences in the definition of satisfaction, all the definitions share some common elements. When examined as a whole, three general components can be identified: 1) consumer satisfaction is a response (emotional or cognitive); 2) the response pertains to a particular focus (expectations, product, consumption experience, etc.); and 3) the response occurs at a particular time (after consumption, after choice, based on accumulated experience, etc).
Consumer responses followed a general pattern similar to the literature. Satisfaction was comprised of three basic components, a response pertaining to a particular focus determined at a particular time.

Response: Type and Intensity - Consumer satisfaction has been typically conceptualized as either an emotional or cognitive response. More recent satisfaction definitions concede an emotional response. The emotional basis for satisfaction is confirmed by the consumer responses. 77.3% of group interview responses specifically used affective responses to describe satisfaction and 64% of the personal interviewees actually changed the question term "satisfaction" to more affective terms. Both the literature and consumers also recognize that this affective response varies in intensity depending on the situation. Response intensity refers to the strength of the satisfaction response, ranging from strong to weak.

Terms such as, "like love," "excited," "euphoria," "thrilled," "very satisfied," "pleasantly surprised," "relieved," "helpless," "frustrated," "cheated," "indifferent," "relieved," "apathy," and "neutral" reveal the range of intensity. In sum, the literature and consumers both view satisfaction as a summary affective response of varying intensity.


Focus of the Response : The focus identifies the object of a consumer’s satisfaction and usually entails comparing performance to some standard. This standard can vary from very specific to more general standards. There are often multiple foci to which these various standards are directed including the product, consumption, purchase decision, salesperson, or store/acquisition. The determination of an appropriate focus for satisfaction varies from context to context. However, without a clear focus, any definition of satisfaction would have little meaning since interpretation of the construct would vary from person to person (chameleon effects).

Timing of the Response : It is generally accepted that consumer satisfaction is a postpurchase phenomenon, yet a number of subtle differences exist in this perspective. The purchase decision may be evaluated after choice, but prior to the actual purchase of the product. Consumer satisfaction may occur prior to choice or even in the absence of purchase or choice (e.g., dissatisfied with out-of-town supermarkets, which were never patronized, because they caused a local store to close). It has even been argued that none of the above time frames is appropriate since satisfaction can vary dramatically over time and satisfaction is only determined at the time the evaluation occurs. The consumer responses reinforced this varied timing aspect of satisfaction. In addition, the consumers discussed the duration of satisfaction, which refers to how long a particular satisfaction response lasts.

Dissatisfaction : The literature has taken two approaches to conceptualizing and operationalizing the dissatisfaction construct. Consumer dissatisfaction is portrayed as the bipolar opposite of satisfaction; or consumer satisfaction and dissatisfaction are viewed as two different dimensions. Since the literature does not provide a clear conceptualization of dissatisfaction, we turned to consumer perceptions. Consumers suggest that dissatisfaction is still comprised of the three components of the definitional framework: affective response; focus; and timing. However, the consumer data did not help resolve the dimensionality issue. We speculate that the apparent dimensionality of satisfaction might be understood by examining the focus of satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Consumers were sometimes satisfied with one aspect of the choice/consumption experience, but dissatisfied with another aspect. In this case, satisfaction and dissatisfaction can be viewed as different dimensions.


Artikel lengkap dikompilasi oleh/hubungi :
Kanaidi, SE., M.Si (Penulis, Pelaku Bisnis, Trainer dan Dosen Marketing Management)
e-mail : kana_ati@yahoo.com atau kanaidi@poltekpos.ac.id

The four levels of loyalty and the pivotal role of trust:a study of online service dynamics

(2004)
Lloyd C. Harris and Mark M.H. Goode
Sir Julian Hodge Chair in Strategic Marketing, Cardiff Business School, Cardiff University, Colum Drive, Cardiff CF10 3EU, UK

Abstract

A four-dimension scale of loyalty that reflects Oliver’s [Satisfaction, a Behavioral Perspective on the Consumer, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1997] conceptualization of a sequential loyalty chain is proposed, operationalized, and tested.
Further, through both synthesizing and building on existing research into loyalty, trust, satisfaction, value, and service quality, a framework is proposed and tested that positions trust as a pivotal driver of loyalty. Data is collected and analyzed from two surveys of online customers, the first being purchasers of books and the second being a study of online flight purchasing.
Analysis suggests that the hypothesized cognitive-affective-conative-action loyalty sequence is statistically most likely out of all possible variations. Although some differences emerge in the two studies, structural modeling largely supports the hypothesized framework and positions trust as central to service dynamics.

Keywords: Loyalty; Trust; Satisfaction; Perceived value; Service quality; E-tailing

Artikel lengkap dikompilasi oleh/hubungi :
Kanaidi, SE., M.Si (Penulis, Pelaku Bisnis, Trainer dan Dosen Marketing Management)
e-mail : kana_ati@yahoo.com atau kanaidi@poltekpos.ac.id

Kualitas Pelayanan (SerVqual)

Dimensi Kualitas Jasa Express Mail Service (EMS) PT Pos Indonesia

Pelanggan membandingkan antara apa yang mereka harapkan dengan apa yang benar-benar mereka terima dalam proses pembelian (Lovelock, 2002).
Terdapat faktor utama yang mempengaruhi kualitas jasa, yaitu jasa yang diharapkan (expected service) dan jasa yang dipersepsikan (perceived service), sejalan dengan apa yang dikemukakan Perasuraman, Zeithaml dan Berry, 1985.
Menurut Parasuraman, Zeithaml dan Berry (1990; 26) dan Lovelock (2002), ditegaskan bahwa di dalam menilai kualitas jasa terdapat lima dimensi yang menentukan yaitu: Tangible, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, dan Empathy.

Kelima dimensi pokok kualitas pelayanan yang telah dijelaskan Zeithaml dan Berry (1990 : 26) dan Lovelock (2002) jika dijabarkan dalam jasa EMS akan didapat sebagai berikut:
1. Reliability yaitu kemampuan dalam menyediakan fasilitas jasa EMS yang telah dijanjikan secara terus menerus, akurat, dan cepat.
2. Responsiveness yaitu respon atau kesigapan karyawan PT Pos Indonesia dalam membantu konsumen dan memberikan pelayanan yang cepat dan tanggap, yaitu meliputi kesigapan karyawan dalam melayani pelanggan, kecepatan karyawan dalam menangani transaksi, dan penanganan keluhan pelanggan EMS.
3. Assurance yaitu meliputi kemampuan karyawan PT Pos Indonesia atas pengetahuan terhadap produk EMS secara tepat, kualitas keramah-tamahan, perhatian dan kesopanan dalam memberikan pelayanan, keterampilan dalam memberikan informasi, kemampuan dalam memberikan keamanan di dalam memanfaatkan jasa EMS yang ditawarkan, dan kemampuan dalam menanamkan kepercayaan pelanggan terhadap PT Pos Indonesia.
4. Tangibles yaitu meliputi penampilan fasilitas fisik seperti gedung Kantorpos dan ruangan front office, tersedianya tempat parkir, kebersihan, kerapian dan kenyamanan ruangan, kelengkapan peralatan komunikasi dan penampilan karyawan.
5. Empathy yaitu perhatian secara individual yang diberikan PT Pos Indonesia kepada pelanggan EMS, seperti kemudahan untuk menghubungi perusahaan, kemampuan karyawan untuk berkomunikasi dengan pelanggan, dan usaha perusahaan untuk memahami keinginan dan kebutuhan pelanggan.

Dua faktor utama yang dijadikan acuan dalam mengukur kualitas pelayanan yaitu expected service dan perceived service, apabila jasa yang diterima oleh pengguna jasa sesuai dengan harapannya maka kualitas pelayanannya akan memuaskan.
Jika pengguna jasa puas maka akan terjadi pembelian berulang/penggunaan jasa berulang yang mengakibatkan pengguna jasa semakin loyal terhadap jasa tersebut (Jay Kandampully dan Dwi Suhartanto, 2000 : 349).
Baik tidaknya kinerja kualitas pelayanan sangat tergantung pada kemampuan penyedia jasa yang secara konsisten untuk selalu berusaha memenuhi kebutuhan konsumen.
Hal ini berarti bahwa kinerja kualitas yang baik bukanlah berdasarkan sudut pandang pihak penyedia jasa, melainkan berdasarkan sudut pandang pengguna jasa (Kotler dalam Jaspar, 2005 : 48).

Pada dasarnya ada beberapa alternatif untuk mengukur kinerja kualitas pelayanan jasa EMS. Salah satu model yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini mengacu pada pendapat Zeithaml, 1990 berikut:

SERVQUAL (SQ) = PERFORMANCE (P) – EXPECTATION (E)

Tulisan selengkapnya, hubungi :
Kanaidi, SE., M.Si (Service Quality and Motivation Trainer, Dosen Marketing Management, Praktisi Bisnis)
kana_ati@yahoo.com atau kanaidi@poltekpos.ac.id