Understanding consumer online shopping behaviour from the perspective of transaction costs

2.3.3.3 E-Service Quality 
Parasuraman et al. (1985) defined service quality as a global judgment about the superiority 
or excellence of the service provided. A perception of service quality results from a 
comparison of expectations and performance based on expectation-confirmation theory (Park
 
et al.
2012). The widely known scale for measuring service quality is SERVQUAL, 
developed by Parasuraman et al. (1988). It identifies five dimensions of service quality: 
tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy. Tangibility refers to physical 
facilities, equipment and appearance of personnel. Reliability is defined as the ability to 
perform the promised service dependably and accurately. Responsiveness refers to the 
willingness to help customers and provide prompt service (Zeithaml
 et al.
2002). Assurance 
is associated with the knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to inspire trust 
and confidence (Zhu
 et al.
2002). The last dimension, empathy, is defined as individualized 
attention given to visitors (Lee
 et al.
2000, Zeithaml
 et al.
2002).

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Within the service literature, e-service quality has been long recognized as an important 
driver of consumer attitudes and behavioural intentions. For example, Udo et al. (2010) 
showed that e-service quality positively affects satisfaction and behavioural intentions to use 
the e-service.
Pearson et al. (2012) and Sousa and Voss (1999) advanced that e-service 
quality is positively related to e-service loyalty intention. According to Kassim and Abdullah 
(2010), Kim et al. (2011) and Ha and Stoel (2009), high e-service quality can improve the 
ease of use of an internet service, and hence help consumers complete their online shopping 
transactions with minimal intellectual input. The positive relationship between e-service 
quality and online purchase intention is also supported by Ahn et al. (2004), Chen and Tan 
(2004), Clemes et al. (2013)
, 
Lee and Lin (2005), Liao and Cheung (2001), Shih (2004), and 
Schneider and Bowen (1999). However, Verhagen and van Dolen (2009) did not find a 
significant effect of e-service quality on online purchase intention. In a similar work, 
Jarvenpaa and Todd (1997) reported that e-service quality has no significant relationship with 
attitude towards online shopping.
When seeking to understanding the effect of e-service quality on consumer behavioural 
outcomes, researchers have highlighted the importance of individual e-service quality 
dimensions. Recent studies suggest that the investigation of the effect of each e-service 
quality dimension is more insightful than that of the overall e-service quality (Kassim and 
Abdullah 2010) because the individual e-service quality dimensions may exhibit different 
effects on behavioural intentions. The findings on the impacts of specific dimensions of e-
service quality, such as reliability, tangibility, and empathy were mixed. Reliable and timely 
delivery is one of the fundamental objectives for online shoppers. Past studies (Raijas 2002, 
Ahn
 et al.
2004, Kim and Kim 2004, Koyuncu and Bhattacharya 2004, Mark and Harris 2007, 

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Lee
 et al.
2011a) pointed out that reliable and timely delivery increases satisfaction and hence 
likelihood of adoption. Similarly, Cho (2004) concluded that consumers having concerns 
over delivery are more likely to abort an online transaction. This was consistent with the 
findings of other studies that investigated the role that post-purchase service (e.g. product 
delivery) quality has on online shopping behaviour (Schneider and Bowen 1999, Van den 
Poel and Leunis 1999, Cho 2004). Schneider and Bowen (1999) suggested that return issues 
may negate the perception of personal service and convenience of online shopping. Contrary 
to the significant effect, Vijayasarathy and Jones (2000) reported that the influences of 
tangibility and empathy on consumer online behaviour are not significant. By delineating the 
nature of dimensions of e-service quality, the previous findings have provided an advanced 
understanding of the relative impact of each e-service quality dimension on purchase 
evaluations (Kassim and Abdullah 2010). 
Several attempts have been made to examine the relationship between customer service 
quality and online adoption (Jarvenpaa and Todd 1997, Kunz 1997, Anthes 1999, Schneider 
and Bowen 1999, Chung 2001, Totty 2001, Burroughs and Sabherwal 2002, Wingfield 2002, 
Kim and Kim 2004, Ha and Stoel 2012). Walsh and Godfrey (2000) took the view that e-
tailors have an advantage over brick and mortar counterparts in the area of customer service 
with their use of personalized web sites, product customization, and value-added work (Scott 
2000). In line with this point of view, Anthes (1999), Burroughs and Sabherwal (2002) and 
Kunz (1997) asserted that individuals who seek personalized customer service are more likely 
to purchase at the online store. However, the study carried out by Mathwick et al (2001) did 
not reveal a significantly positive relationship with the intention to shop online.