The Effect of E-SERVQUAL on e-Loyalty for Apparel Online Shopping

재망상복장구물중전자(在网上服装购物中电子)E-SERVQUAL 대전자충성도적영향(对电子忠诚度的影响)

  • Kim, Eun-Young (Department of Fashion Design Information, Chungbuk National University) ;
  • Jackson, Vanessa P. (Department of Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles, University of Kentucky)
  • Received : 2009.12.02
  • Accepted : 2009.12.23
  • Published : 2009.12.31

Abstract

With an exponential increase in electronic commerce (e-commerce), marketers are attempting to gain a competitive advantage by emphasizing service quality and post interaction service aspects, which leads to customer satisfaction or behavioral consequence. Particularly for apparel, service quality is one of the key determinants in encouraging customer e-loyalty, and hence the success of apparel retailing in the context of electronic commerce. Therefore, this study explores e-service quality (E-SERVQUAL) factors and their unique effects on e-loyalty for apparel online shopping based on Parasuraman et al' s (2005) framework. Specific objectives of this study are to identify underlying dimension of E-SERVQUAL, and analyze a structural model for examining the effect of E-SERVQUAL on e-loyalty for online apparel shopping. For the theoretical framework of service quality in the context of online shopping, literatures on traditional and electronic service quality factors were comparatively reviewed, and two aspects of core and recovery services were identified. This study hypothesized that E-SERVQUAL has an effect on e-loyalty; customer satisfaction has a positive effect on e-service loyalty for apparel online shopping; and customer satisfaction mediates in the effect of E-SERVQUAL on e-loyalty for apparel online shopping. A self-administered questionnaire was developed based on literatures. A total of 252 usable questionnaires were obtained from online consumers who had purchase experience with online shopping for apparel products and reside in standard metropolitan areas, in the United States. Factor analysis (e.g., exploratory, confirmatory) was conducted to assess the validity and reliability and the structural equation model including measurement and structural models was estimated via LISREL 8.8 program. Findings showed that the E-SERVQUAL of shopping websites for apparel consisted of five factors: Compensation, Fulfillment, Efficiency, System Availability, and Responsiveness. This supports Parasuraman (2005)'s E-S-QUAL encompassing two aspects of core service (e.g., fulfillment, efficiency, system availability) and recovery related service (e.g., compensation, responsiveness) in the context of apparel shopping online. In the structural equation model, there are five exogenous latent variables for e-SERVQUAL factors; and two endogenous latent variables (e.g., customer satisfaction, e-loyalty). For the measurement model, the factor loadings for each respective construct were statistically significant and were greater than .60 and internal consistency reliabilities ranged from .85 to .88. In the estimated structural model of the e-SERVEQUAL factors, the system availability was found to have direct and positive effect on e-loyalty, whereas efficiency had a negative effect on e-loyalty for apparel online shopping. However, fulfillment was not a significant predictor for explaining consequences of E-SERVQUAL for apparel online shopping. This finding implies that perceived service quality of system available was likely to increase customer satisfaction for apparel online shopping. However, it was not supported that e-loyalty was determined by service quality, because service quality has an indirect effect on e-loyalty (i.e., repurchase intention) by mediating effect of value or satisfaction in the context of online shopping for apparel. In addition, both compensation and responsiveness were found to have a significant impact on customer satisfaction, which influenced e-loyalty for apparel online shopping. Thus, there was significant indirect effect of compensation and responsiveness on e-loyalty. This suggests that the recovery-specific service factors play an important role in maximizing customer satisfaction levels and then maintaining customer loyalty to the online shopping site for apparel. The findings have both managerial and research implications. Fashion marketers can establish long-term relationship with their customers based on continuously measuring customer perceptions for recovery-related service quality, such as quick responses to problem and returns, and compensation for customers' problem after their purchases. In order to maintain e-loyalty, recovery services play an important role in the first choice websites for consumers to purchase clothing. Given that online consumers may shop anywhere, a marketing strategy for improving competitive advantages is to provide better service quality, maximize satisfaction, and turn to creating customers' e-loyalty for apparel online shopping. From a researcher's perspective, there are some limitations of this research that should be considered when interpreting its findings. For future research, findings provide a basis for the further study of this important topic along both theoretical and empirical dimensions. Based on the findings, more comprehensive models for predicting E-SERVQUAL's consequences can be developed and tested. For global fashion marketing, this study can expand to a cross-cultural approach into e-service quality for apparel by including multinational samples.

随着电子商务指数式增长(电子商务), 营销人员正试图获得通过强调服务质量和服务方面的相互作用而导致客户满意度或行为后果的竞争优势. 特别是对于服装, 服务质量是鼓励客户电子忠诚的关键因素之一, 并增加电子商务中服装零售的成功. 因此, 本研究探讨电子服务质量(电子SERVQUAL)的因素和根据Parasuraman等人(2005)的研究框架对网上服装购物的电子忠诚度的独特影响. 这项研究的具体目标是确定的基本层面的E - SERVQUAL, 分析有关在网上服装购物中电子SERVQUAL对点在忠诚度的影响的结构模型. 对于服务质量, 在网上购物方面的理论框架, 我们比较分析了有关传统和电子服务质量的因素的文献并确定了核心的两个方面和恢复服务. 这项研究的假设是电子SERVQUAL对电子忠诚度的影响. 客户满意度对电子服装网上购物服务的忠诚度有积极影响和客户满意度在电子SERVQUAL对服装网上购物电子忠诚度影响中的中介作用. 根据文献我们制成了一份自填式的问卷. 我们在美国从居住在大城市的有在网上购买服装产品的在线消费者中获得了252份有用的问卷. 通过因子分析(例如, 探索, 验证)评估了有效性和可靠性, 结构方程模型, 包括测量和结构模型, 通过线性结构8.8程序评估了包括测量和结构模型的结构方程模型. 结果显示, 网上购物网站的电子SERVQUAL的五个因素: 赔偿, 执行, 效率, 系统可用性和反应能力. 这支持在网上服装购物方面Parasuraman(2005)的E-S-QUAL包括两个方面的核心服务(如满足, 效率, 系统可用性)和恢复相关的服务(例如, 补偿, 回应). 在结构方程模型中, 有5个电子SERVQUAL因素的外生潜变量, 两个内生潜变量(例如客户满意度, 电子忠诚度). 对于测量模型, 各代表概念的因子载荷有显著的统计学意义, 比 0.60大, 内部一致性信从 0.85 至 0.8 8 不等. 在估计电子SERVEQUAL因素的结构模型, 系统的可用性对电子忠诚的直接和积极的作用, 而效率对网上服装购物的电子忠诚度有负面影响. 然而, 满足不是解释网上服装购物的电子SERVQUAL结果的重要指标. 这一发现意味着, 可被理解为系统提供服务的质量可能会增加对服装网上购物的客户满意度. 然而, 电子忠诚取决于服务质量没有被支持, 因为在网上服装购买中, 通过价值或满意度的中介作用, 服务质量对电子忠诚度(例如再购买意图)有间接影响. 此外, 获得赔偿和回应被发现对客户满意度有显著影响, 会影响网上服装购买的电子忠诚度. 因此, 获得赔偿和回应对电子忠诚度有显著的间接影响. 这表明, 恢复特定的服务因素在客户满意度最大化方面的重要作用, 以及维护客户对网上服装购物网站的忠诚度方面的重要作用. 研究结果在管理和研究方面都有启示. 时装营销者可以在建立与客户的长期关系的基础上, 不断测量顾客感知与恢复服务有关的服务质量等问题, 例如对问题和返回的迅速反应, 客户购买之后的问题赔偿. 为了保持电子忠诚, 在消费者购买服装中恢复服务对消费者第一次选择网站起到重要作用. 由于网上购物的消费者可以在任何地方购物, 提高竞争优势的营销策略是为消费者提供更好的服务质量, 最大限度地满意, 并把创造客户网上服装购买的电子忠诚度. 从研究的角度来看, 解释这些结果时, 本研究的一些局限需要被考虑. 对于未来的研究, 调查结果为这一重要主题理论和实证方面的进一步的研究提供了依据. 根据研究结果, 更全面的模型预测电子SERVQUAL的结果可以被开发和测试. 对全球时装市场, 这项研究可以扩展使用多国样本的跨文化的方法来研究服装的电子服务质量.

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