Effects of e‐service quality on loyalty intention: an empirical study in online auction

Measuring the Mediating Roles of E-Trust and E-Satisfaction in the Relationship between E-Service Quality and E-Loyalty: A Structural Modeling Approach

Despite a plethora of research studies on service quality, in general, and electronic (e) service quality, in particular, studies often focus on either understating the dimensions of e-service quality or its direct relationship with other variables such as customer e-satisfaction, e-trust, and e-loyalty. This study developed a comprehensive theoretical model to examine both direct and indirect influence of e-service quality on the e-loyalty of hotel customers in their usage of online travel agencies (OTAs). The research examines the mediating effect of e-trust and e-satisfaction in the relationship between e-service quality and e-loyalty. The research adopted a quantitative approach through a questionnaire survey for data collection from hotel customers who adopt OTAs for choosing their hotel services. Data collected from the questionnaires were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results confirmed all direct relationships among e-service quality, e-trust, e-satisfaction, and e-loyalty. However, the results did not confirm a mediating role of either e-trust or e-satisfaction in the relationship between e-service quality and e-loyalty. Nonetheless, the results interestingly showed that both variables (trust and e-satisfaction) have a mediating role in the relationship between e-service quality and e-loyalty. The results of this research have numerous implications for senior tourism marketers, as well as marketing scholars.

Crime reporting and police controlling: Mobile and web-based approach for information-sharing in Iraq

Crimes are increasing in our society as a serious worldwide issue. Fast reporting of crimes is a significantly important area in anticrime. This problem is visible in Iraq as people avoid information-sharing due to the lack of trust in the security system despite some contact lines between citizens and police in Iraq. Furthermore, there has been a little empirical study in this field. We proposed a multi-approach for crime reporting and police control to address these issues. First, this study has two goals: (1) investigating the adopted method in reporting crimes to police sectors to identify the gap and, (2) developing a mobile application for crime reporting and keeping it undisclosed and exclusive for crime witnesses to report. The approach utilised 200 participants to develop the proposed app. Results have shown that the proposed system can quickly monitor and track criminals based on a cloud-based online database. In addition, the application user will specify certain details to be sent, such as location, case type and time. Other information will be sent directly by the system following the designed algorithm.

After-sales service shaping assortment satisfaction and online repatronage intention in the backdrop of social influence

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze online repatronage intention (ORI) in the context of after-sales service (ASS) and assortment satisfaction (AS) for professional services. This study also aims to study the influence of ASS upon AS. Additionally, the role of social influence (SI) in influencing these two and other dependent variables is examined. Finally, the effect of moderation on these hypothesized relationships by four dichotomous variables is also investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 458 customers, who had a recent experience of ASS with their respective professional service providers, through purposive sampling method.

Findings

This empirical study establishes that ASS is an antecedent to AS and ORI. The finding of this empirical study also confirms that AS has a direct positive influence on ORI and customer loyalty. This implies that satisfied customers are more likely to repatronage the professional service and would be loyal to such professional service providers. The findings also reveal that all constructs are influenced by SI. Civil status, gender, city type (metro/non metro) and income status moderate a few of the hypothesized relationships, with city type having the maximum effect.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study on online purchase of professional services which proves that ASS influences AS. Given the growth of online professional services, this study provides scholars and practitioners with suggestions and recommendations on how ASS and AS can be used to build ORI and a loyalty base. This study fills the void in extant literature by examining the interrelationships between ASS, assortment satisfaction, ORI and customer loyalty.

Analyzing Role of E-SERVQUAL Constructs for Post-pandemic Recovery of Indian Taxi Aggregator Services

The taxi aggregator services leverage advantages of digital technologies that connect the provider and consumer. The mobile applications facilitate this online connectivity. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted consumption of the taxi aggregator services in India due to the lockdown. However, the demand would be increasing as the relaxation would progress. Furthermore, the duopolistic Indian taxi aggregator market is highly competitive. The players would try hard to fulfill the demand for recovery and progress. This exercise would focus on brand loyalty intention for formulating customer retention strategies. Therefore, this study examined role of Efficiency, Privacy, and Contact (E-service Quality) constructs as antecedents to brand loyalty intention. A structured questionnaire was circulated online for collecting the data required for empirical validation of proposed model. Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used for analyzing 288 responses. The results indicated that Efficiency, Privacy, and Contact influence the brand loyalty intention. Therefore, strategies emphasizing on efficiency, contact, and privacy would help both short-term and long-term customer retention. These strategies would act as a remedy for post-COVID recovery of taxi aggregator service providers.

Examining factors that boost intention and loyalty to use Fintech post-COVID-19 lockdown as a new normal behavior

This study predicts factors affecting the tendency to use financial technology (Fintech) services post-COVID-19 lockdown as a new normal behavior. Fintech services have boosted the number of users during the COVID-19 lockdown. However, to maintain the loyal behavior of consumers after usage, firms need to predict key reasons to enhance their intention to use the service and maintain current consumers in the long term. This study offers a model to assess the components of the perceived usefulness toward Fintech. Data were collected via Mechanical Turk (MTurk), and structural equation modeling was used to predict the factors that influence the intention and loyalty to use Fintech post-COVID-19 lockdown. The findings reveal that the COVID-19 lockdown, trust, data security and privacy, and especially staff services are factors that enhance the intention to use through perceived usefulness. In return, it builds consumers' loyalty toward Fintech services and is considered a new normal behavior. This research sheds light on how Fintech firms develop their capabilities and increase their competitive advantages. Both theoretical and practical implications are also discussed.

How to increase the loyalty of public library users? A qualitative study

The main objective of this study is to explain how to increase user loyalty behavior to public library services. This study uses a qualitative method based on grounded theory. The research population included users of public libraries in Iran. The data were collected through in-depth interviews, and the theoretical saturation was obtained after interviewing 24 members of public libraries. The collected data through interviews were analyzed using theoretical coding and content analysis. Results indicated that observing moral and humane principles when dealing with library users plays a significant role in both building user loyalty to the library and attracting new users. In addition, it was found that causal conditions in increasing loyalty among public library users are related to four areas including physical space management, information resource management, human resource management, and information technology management. It was also noted that factors such as service quality, proper design of interiors, providing diverse and updated information resources, the use of new communication technologies, and the use of cyberspace and social network applications must be taken into account by public libraries. Building loyalty among users and members of public libraries in today’s technological world is of high importance, as it will guarantee the repeated and more frequent use of public libraries and their services and thus reflect their positive effects. The loyalty of users of libraries and information centers can be based on perceived quality, effective communication between librarians and users, and satisfaction with services offered by libraries and their staffs and can affect the intention for repeated visits, and the use of library service and preferring a library over other libraries.

The Role of Perceived E-Collaborative Performance in an Extended Theory of Planned Behavior Model

Online web technologies are adopted to improve students' collaborative work. However, the factors that affect students' engagement in online collaboration (e-collaboration) have not been understood in previous studies. This research aimed to examine the extent to which students' intentions to e-collaborate can be explained by the theory of planned behavior. A sample of secondary and tertiary students was used (N = 175). The results from the partial least square approach to structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) indicated that the path coefficients of the relationships partially reinforced the a priori construction of the hypothesized model. In brief, attitudes toward e-collaboration and subjective norms were positively and significantly related to e-collaborative intentions, while perceived behavioral control indirectly predicted e-collaborative intentions via perceived e-collaborative performance. Research and practical implications have been presented in the paper.

Understanding individuals’ initial and continued use of online auction marketplaces

Purpose

– The current study aims to systematically review the existing literature, identify the main determinants that impact individuals’ perceptions, attitude, intention and behavior and meta-analytically evaluate their respective strength. Moreover, this study examines the specific mechanism through which more distal factors, such as trust, risk, experience and enjoyment influence individuals’ decision in the context of online auction markets. Finally, the moderating effects of contextual and methodological factors that could potentially influence the relationships are explored. During the past two decades, a large number of empirical studies examined the factors that hinder or foster individuals’ initial and continued acceptance of online auction marketplaces.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on the effect sizes reported, 91 studies, including 95 independent samples (N = 36.788), the current study utilizes bivariate meta-analysis, meta-analytic structural equation modeling and weighted least squares regression moderator analysis to examine the nature of the identified relationships, the mechanisms through which they operate and the boundary conditions under which they do or do not hold.

Findings

– The results show that trust and experience explain individuals’ initial usage intention, while risk and experience explain actual usage behavior, indicating that these variables are viable extensions to the technology acceptance model in the context of online auction marketplaces. The results also demonstrate that, once individuals participate in online auction markets, trust and enjoyment are important predictors of satisfaction, which, in turn, is the strongest determinant of loyalty intention. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that cultural context acts as moderator and, to some degree, explains the mixed empirical findings in prior research.

Originality/value

– This study contributes to the existing literature by identifying the main determinants and their average direct and indirect effect on the individuals’ decisions in online auction marketplaces. The findings provide critical insights into the complex network of relationships which impact individuals’ perceptions, attitude, intention and behavior to initially and continuously use online auction marketplaces. Furthermore, the result contributes to the existing research by examining the effect of contextual and methodological boundary conditions – moderating factors that are difficult to test in primary studies.

Nonlinear impact of online retail characteristics on customer satisfaction and loyalty

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to consider the nonlinear impact of online retail stores’ quality dimensions on general customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using a quantitative approach, 429 online users answered a closed questionnaire regarding their present satisfaction with 26 service attributes, their general satisfaction and loyalty. Using factorial analysis with Varimax rotation, five service-quality dimensions are studied: service accessibility/speed, fault recovery, buying reliability, service and site flexibility and site interaction/feedback. Penalty and reward contrast analysis identifies the Kano model classification of the service-quality dimensions, and the nonlinear impact of these dimensions, and customer satisfaction, on customer loyalty.

Findings

– The results show that there is a nonlinearity between quality dimensions, customer satisfaction and loyalty. The dimension “service accessibility/speed” has a one-dimensional impact on customer satisfaction, but with higher reward impact than penalty impact. “Fault recovery” is a “must-be”, “buying reliability” and “service flexibility” are “attractive” and “site interaction/feedback” is one-dimensional. Besides, the dimension “service accessibility/speed” has also a direct impact on loyalty if achieving above-average performance, thus reinforcing general customer satisfaction.

Originality/value

– Few previous papers explore this nonlinearity in online retail services. So, future studies should lead to a theoretical and practical understanding of managing these services. Understanding this nonlinearity may help companies to better identify what improve or offer to customers.

Investigating the Motives of Customers' Continuance Intentions towards Online Reservation

Despite the growth in online reservation in recent years, research surrounding customer continuance intentions regarding this service remains insufficient. This research attempts to fill this gap by integrating the e-service quality model with the expectation–confirmation model (ECM) to measure continuance intentions regarding online reservation. Data was collected from a survey of users who have prior online reservation experience at two universities in the United Arab Emirates. Statistical analysis was performed to test the relationships among the different research variables using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results show that all the e-service quality dimensions proposed in this study significantly affect utilitarian value, with the exception of e-service quality related to responsiveness. Furthermore, utilitarian values positively influence hedonic values and both utilitarian and hedonic values have a positive influence on satisfaction. Finally both subjective norms and satisfaction are significantly associated with continuance intentions regarding online reservation. Implications of the study and directions for future research are provided.

Factors Influencing Citizen Adoption of E-Government in Developing Countries

The main purposes of this study are to investigate citizen adoption of e-government services in Jordan and to explore factors affecting the level of adoption of e-government services. Importantly, this study aims to develop a conceptual framework that is based on previous literature of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in order to examine the relationships between certain factors (government trustworthiness, service quality and citizen satisfaction) and citizen adoption of e-government services. A self-administered questionnaire was used to capture data from 356 Jordanian citizens across the country randomly. The findings indicate that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, citizen satisfaction and trustworthiness are significant predictors of the Jordanian intention to use an e-government service. The results also showed that the service quality dimensions: responsiveness, reliability, and empathy have significant impacts on the citizen satisfaction. The study has made significant contributions to the body of knowledge at academic and practical levels as an important exploratory study that was conducted in the context of Jordan, a developing country with genuine need for more research works on e-government issues. In addition, this study provides some valuable insights into the performance and adoption of e-government in Jordan that could help government agencies to improve the effectiveness of their services.