2.3. Service Quality and Service Quality Models
2.3.19. The “E-service Quality Model” of Santos
According to Santos (2003), service quality is progressively accepted as a significant part within the field of electronic commerce. Since the online appraisal of the technical attributes for goods is cost free, viable, and simpler than contrasts for products based on traditional networks, service quality is a significant contributing factor for effective e‐commerce. A theoretical model of the determining factors in e‐service quality is recommended and deliberated on. The study used focus group interviews to examine factors relating to e‐service quality. It (i.e. the study) suggested that electronic service quality “has incubative and active dimensions in improving hit rates, stickiness, and customer retention” (Santos, 2003:233). The incubative element comprises of “ease of use,
28 appearance, linkage, structure and layout, and content. The active dimension consists of reliability, efficiency, support, communication, security, and incentives.” (Santos, 2003:233).
A summary of the various service quality models is presented in the table 2.1.
Table 2.1: Summary of Service Quality Models
Model Name Authors/Source How Does the Model
Measure Service Quality?
“Technical and Functional Quality Model”
Gro̎nroos (1984) Technical, functional and image issues.
SERVQUAL Parasuraman et al. (1985) Uses a disconfirmation paradigm – expectations minus perceptions. Five
main dimensions:
“Tangibles, Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, Empathy”.
The “Attribute Service Quality Model”
Haywood-Farmer (1988) Service quality is high when expectations and preferences are met. Comprises of three
“attributes: physical facilities and processes, people behaviour and professional judgment”.
The “Synthesised Service Quality model”
Brogowicz et al. (1990) Three important dimensions:
an organisation’s image,
29
Model Name Authors/Source How Does the Model
Measure Service Quality?
outside effects and marketing activities that are traditional.
“The Performance Only Model of Service Quality (SERVPERF)”
Cronin and Taylor (1992) Has the same dimensions as SERVQUAL but without the disconfirmation paradigm. It considers perceptions and not expectations.
The “Ideal Value Model of Service Quality”
Mattsson (1992) Service experience is compared to an ideal standard which has a bearing on satisfaction.
The “Evaluated Performance and Normed-Quality Model”
Teas (1993) Assesses the variance
between the performance of the service and the best amount of a particular feature.
“IT Alignment Model” Berkley and Gupta (1995) Seven areas of quality found under “Service Strategy”
need to be aligned with IT areas in order to bring about good service quality.
The “Attribute and Overall Affect Model”
Dabholkar (1996) Five important service quality attributes in a self- service business are
30
Model Name Authors/Source How Does the Model
Measure Service Quality?
promptness of service delivery, easy to use, reliable, fun to use and have control of.
“Model of Perceived Service Quality and Satisfaction”
Spreng and Mackoy (1996) OVERALL SERVICE QUALITY (OSQ) is
impacted on by
expectations, perceived performance, desires, expectations disconfirmation and desires congruency.
“The PCP Attribute Model” Philip and Hazlett (1997) Three classes of service quality attributes – “pivotal (outputs), core and peripheral” (comprising of
“inputs and processes”).
“The Retail Service Quality and Perceived Value Model”
Sweeney et al. (1997) Service quality is affected by worth and readiness to buy.
“Model of Service Quality, Customer Value and Customer Satisfaction “
Oh (1999) Examines service quality
based on: issues pertaining to
“perception, service quality, consumer satisfaction, customer value, intentions to
31
Model Name Authors/Source How Does the Model
Measure Service Quality?
repurchase and word of mouth.”
The “Antecedents and Mediator Model” of Service Quality
Dabholkar et al., (2000) Issues related to service quality are more its antecedents than its constituents and customer satisfaction has a strong mediating influence on the association concerning service quality and behavioural intents.
The “Internal Service Quality Model”
Frost and Kumar (2000) Based on SERVQUAL and uses its five dimensions to evaluate internal service quality with employees and others internal to the business.
“Internal Service Quality DEA Model”
Soteriou and Stavrinides, (1997)
Specifically for banks.
Evaluates service quality based on Data Envelope Analysis (DEA), which compares banks in the transformation of inputs to achieve outputs.
32
Model Name Authors/Source How Does the Model
Measure Service Quality?
The “Internet Banking Model”
Broderick and
Vachirapornpuk, (2002)
Internet service quality affected by customer’s zone of tolerance, the extent to which customers understand their roles as customers and a customer’s emotional reaction.
The “IT-based Model” Zhu et al. (2002) Focuses on the relationship between the dimensions SERVQUAL with constructs related to IT-based service quality.
“Model of e-service quality” Santos (2003) “incubative” and “active”
dimensions affect Service quality.
Source: Adapted from Seth et al. (2005)
Given the numerous service quality models discussed in the literature, it is noteworthy that based on a review of relevant literature since 2009, the service quality models most reported on in the literature are SERVQUAL, SERVPERF and the Gro̎nroos models of service quality. This is evidenced in Table 2.2.
33 Table 2.2: Popular and Widely used Models of Service Quality
SERVQUAL Verma (2012:413); Kardaras and Karakostas
(2012:6); Dornfeld and Linke (2012:50), Pergamon Flexible Learning, and Elearn Limited (2009:89); Rodrigues (2012); Scupola (2013), Eid (2013); Sarin (2013:408); Etō
(2015:153).
Gro̎nroos(1984) – “Technical and Functional Quality Model”
Kardaras and Karakostas (2012:6).
SERVPERF Rodrigues (2012); Rai (2013:213); Xu et al.
(2013:248); Etō (2015:153); Wickramasinghe (2013:348).
Source: Developed by the author.
Reserachers (Oh, 1999 and Dabholkar et al., 2000) have shown a relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction. The next section discusses customer satisfaction and its multi- dimensional nature.