Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Does service convenience matter? An empirical assessment of service quality, service convenience and exchange relationship in electronic mediated environment

  • Special Theme
  • Published:
Electronic Markets Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study examines, from the consumer centric perspective, how service convenience in conjunction with online service quality affect long-term relational exchange in the electronic mediated environment (EME). Service convenience is conceptualized as a second order formative construct with six convenience dimensions demonstrating the process of online service consumption. An analytical framework is developed and tested to validate a comprehensive research model of service convenience and its antecedents and consequents. Analysis of data from 772 respondents revealed that service convenience is indeed a multidimensional formative concept and contributes to long-term exchange relationship between the consumers and service providers. Implication and future research is discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ahuja, M., Gupta, B., & Raman, P. (2003). An empirical investigation of online consumer purchasing behavior. Communications of ACM, 46(12), 145–151.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aladwani, A. M. (2001). Online banking: A field study of drivers, development challenges, and expectations. International Journal of Information Management, 21(3), 213–225.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, E. (1998). Customer satisfaction and word-of-mouth. Journal of Service Research, 1(1), 5–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ba, S., & Johansson, W. C. (2008). An exploratory study of the impact of e-service process on online customer satisfaction. Production and Operations Management, 17(1), 107–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker, J., Grewal, D., & Parasuraman, A. (1994). The influence of store environment on quality inferences and store image. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 22(4), 328–339.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bardhan, I., Demirkan, H., Kannan, P. K., Kauffman, R. J., & Sougstad, R. (2010). An interdisciplinary perspective on IT services management and services science. Journal of Management Information Systems, 26(4), 13–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berry, L. L., Seiders, K., & Grewal, D. (2002). Understanding service convenience. Journal of Marketing, 66(3), 1–17.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhattacherjee, A. (2001). Understanding information systems continuance: An expectation-confirmation model. MIS Quarterly, 25(3), 351–370.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bitner, M.J. (1990). Evaluating service encounters: The effects of physical surroundings and employee responses. Journal of Marketing (54), 69–82.

  • Bitner, M. J., Brown, W. S., & Meuter, M. L. (2000). Technology infusion in service encounters. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 28(1), 38–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolton, R. N., & Drew, J. H. (1991). A longitudinal analysis of the impact of service changes on customer attitudes. Journal of Marketing, 55, 1–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bolton, R. N., Kannan, P. K., & Bramlett, B. M. (2000). Implications of loyalty program membership and service experiences for customer retention and value. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 28(1), 95–108.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, L. (1990). Convenience in services marketing. Journal of Services Marketing, 4, 53–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buckley, J. (2003). E-service quality and the public sector. Managing Service Quality, 13(6), 453–462.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carrillat, F., Jaramillo, F., & Mulki, J. (2009). Examining the impact of service quality: A meta-analysis of empirical evidence. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 17(20), 95–110.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang, H., & Chen, S. (2010). Consumer perception of interface quality, security, and loyalty in electronic commerce. Information and Management, 46, 411–417.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, P. Y. S., & Hitt, L. M. (2002). Measuring switching costs and the determinants of customer retention in Internet-enabled businesses: A study of the online brokerage industry. Information Systems Research, 13(3), 255–274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chesbrough, H., & Spohrer, J. (2006). A research manifesto for services science. Communications of the ACM, 49(7), 35–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chin, W. W. (1998). Issues and opinion on structural equation modeling. MIS Quarterly, 22(1), 7–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chin, W. W., & Todd, P. A. (1995). On the use, usefulness, and ease of use of structural equation modeling in MIS research: A note of caution. MIS Quarterly, 19(2), 237–246.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chin, W. W., Marcolin, B., & Newsted, P. (2003). A partial least squares latent variable modeling approach for measuring interaction effects: Results from a Monte Carlo simulation study and an electronic mail adoption study. Information Systems Research, 14(2), 189–217.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collier, J. E., & Bienstock, C. C. (2006). Measuring service quality in e-retailing. Journal of Service Research, 8(3), 260–275.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collier, J. E., & Kimes, S. E. (2013). Only if it is convenient understanding how convenience influences self-service technology evaluation. Journal of Service Research, 16(1), 39–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Compaine, B. M., & Weinraub, M. J. (1997). Universal access to online services: an examination of the issue. Telecommunications Policy, 21(1), 15–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cyr, D., Head, M., & Ivanov, A. (2006). Design aesthetics leading to m-loyalty in mobile commerce. Information and Management, 43(8), 950–963.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dai, H., & Salam, A. F. (2010). An Integrative Framework of Service Convenience, Service Consumption Experience, and Relational Exchange in Electronic Mediated Environment (EME). Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS), St. Louis, Missouri, Dec. 2010.

  • Dai, H., Salam, A.F., and King, R. C. (2008). Service Convenience, Service Consumption Experience, and Relational Exchange in Electronic Mediated Environment. Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS), Paris, France, Dec. 2008.

  • Dai, H., Haried, P., & Salam, A. (2011). Antecedents of online service quality, commitment and loyalty. The Journal of Computer Information Systems, 52(2), 1–11.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Ruyter, K., Moorman, L., & Lemmink, J. (2001). Antecedents of commitment and trust in customer-supplier relationships in high technology markets. Industrial Marketing Management, 30(3), 271–286.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dennis, A. R., & Taylor, N. J. (2006). Information foraging on the web: The effects of “acceptable” internet delays on multi-page information search behavior. Decision Support Systems, 42(2), 810–824.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diamantopoulos, A., & Winklhofer, H. M. (2001). Index construction with formative indicators: An alternative to scale development. Journal of Marketing Research, 38(2), 269–277.

    Google Scholar 

  • Doll, W. J., & Torkzadeh, G. (1998). The measurement of end-user computing satisfaction. MIS Quarterly, 12(2), 259–274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dwyer, F. R., Schurr, P. H., & Oh, S. (1987). Developing buyer-seller relationships. The Journal of marketing, 11–27.

  • Etgar, M. (1978). The household as a production unit. Research in Marketing, 1, 79–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Éthier, J., Hadaya, P., Talbot, J., & Cadieux, J. (2006). B2C web site quality and emotions during online shopping episodes: An empirical study. Information and Management, 43, 627–639.

    Google Scholar 

  • Farquhar, J. D., & Rowley, J. (2009). Convenience: A services perspective. Marketing Theory, 9(4), 425–438.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fassnacht, M., & Koese, I. (2006). Quality of electronic services: Conceptualizing and testing hierarchical model. Journal of Service Research, 9(1), 19–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fornell, C., & Larcker, V. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galletta, D. F., Henry, R. M., McCoy, S., & Polak, P. (2006). When the wait isn’t so bad: The interacting effects of website delay, familiarity, and breadth. Information Systems Research, 17(1), 20–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Garbarino, E., & Johnson, M. S. (1999). The different roles of satisfaction, trust, and commitment in customer relationships. Journal of Marketing, 63, 70–87.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gefen, D. (2002). Customer loyalty in e-commerce. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 3, 27–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Giere, J., Wirtz, B., & Schilke, O. (2006). Mehrdimensionale konstrukte: Konzeptionelle grundlagen und Möglichkeiten ihrer analyse mithilfe von strukturgleichungsmodellen. Betriebswirtschaftliche, 66(6), 678–695.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grönroos, C. (1990). Service management and marketing. Lexington: Lexington Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hair, J. F., Anderson, R. E., Tatham, R. L., & Black, W. C. (1998). Multivariate data analysis. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrison-Walker, L. J. (2001). The measurement of word-of-mouth communication and an investigation of service quality and customer commitment as potential antecedents. Journal of Service Research, 4(1), 60–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heijden, H. V. D. (2004). User acceptance of hedonic information systems. MIS quarterly 695–704.

  • Heijden, H. V. D., Verhagen, T., & Creemers, M. (2003). Understanding online purchase intentions: Contributions from technology and trust perspectives. European Journal of Information Systems, 12, 41–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirschman, E. C., & Holbrook, M. B. (1982). Hedonic consumption: Emerging concepts, methods and propositions. Journal of Marketing, 46(3), 92–101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holbrook, B. (2006). Consumption experience, customer value, and subjective personal introspection: An illustrative photographic essay. Journal of Business Research, 59(6), 714–725.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holloway, B., & Beatty, S. (2003). Service failure in online retailing: A recovery opportunity. Journal of Service Research, 6(1), 92–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, Z., & Benbasat, I. (2007). Investigating the influence of the functional mechanisms of online product presentations. Information Systems Research, 18(4), 454–470.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnston, R. (1995). The determinants of service quality: Satisfiers and dissatisfiers. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 6(5), 53–71.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keh, H., & Pang, J. (2010). Customer reactions to service separation. Journal of Marketing, 74(2), 55–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kennedy, P. A. (2003). Guide to econometrics (5th ed.). Boston: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, S., & Son, J. (2009). Out of dedication or constraint? A dual model of post-adoption phenomena and empirical test in the context of online services. MIS Quarterly, 33(1), 49–70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohler, T., Fueller, J., Matzler, K., & Stieger, D. (2011). Co-creation in virtual worlds: The design of the user experience. MIS Quarterly, 35(3), 773–788.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kolter, P., & Zaltman, G. (1971). Social marketing: An approach to planned social change. Journal of Marketing, 35, 3–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, Y., Chen, A. N. K., & Llie, V. (2012). Can online wait be managed? The effect of filler interfaces and presentation modes on perceived waiting time online. MIS Quarterly, 36(2), 365–394.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin, H. H., & Wang, Y. S. (2006). An examination of the determinants of customer loyalty in mobile commerce contexts. Information and management. Information and Management, 43(3), 271–282.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lindell, M. K., & Whitney, D. J. (2001). Accounting for common method variance in cross-sectional research designs. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(1), 114–121.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lociacono, E., Watson, R.T. and Goodhue, D. (2000). WebQual: A web site quality instrument. Working paper, Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

  • Lovelock, C., & Gummesson, E. (2004). Whither services marketing? In search of a new paradigm and fresh perspective. Journal of Service Research, 7(1), 20–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luo, J., Ba, S., & Zhang, H. (2012). The effectiveness of online shopping characteristics and well-designed websites on satisfaction. MIS Quarterly, 36(4), 1131–1144.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luong, A. (2005). Affective service display and customer mood. Journal of Service Research, 8(2), 117–130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Macys.com (2014), URL available at www.macysinc.com/pressroom. Accessed 24 July 2014.

  • Mathwick, C., Malhotra, N. K., & Rigdon, E. (2001). Experiential value: Conceptualization, measurement and application in the catalog and internet shopping environment. Journal of Retailing, 77(1), 39–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCollough, M. A., Berry, L., & Yadav, M. (2000). An empirical investigation of customer satisfaction after service failure and recovery. Journal of Service Research, 2, 121–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, G. C., & Benbasat, I. (1991). Development of an instrument to measure the perceptions of adopting an information technology innovation. Information Systems Research, 2(3), 192–222.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nickols, S. Y., & Fox, K. D. (1983). Buying time and saving time: Strategies for managing household production. Journal of Consumer Research, 10, 197–208.

    Google Scholar 

  • Novak, T. P., Hoffman, D. L., & Yung, Y. F. (2000). Measuring the customer experience in online environments: A structural modeling approach. Marketing science, 19(1), 22–42.

  • Nunnally, J., & Bernstein, I. (1994). Psychometric theory. New York: McGraw Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nunnaly, N. C. (1978). Psychometric theory. New York: McGraw Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliver, R. L. (1999). Whence consumer loyalty. Journal of Marketing, 63, 33–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliver, R. (1992). An Investigation of the Attribute Basis of Emotion and Related Affects in Consumption: Suggestions for a Stage-Specific Satisfaction Framework. In Advances in consumer research, 19 Eds. John F. Sherry and Brian Sternthal. Ann Arbor, MI: Association for Consumer Research. (pp. 237–244).

  • Ozment, J., & Morash, E. A. (1994). The augmented service offering for perceived and actual service quality. Journal of the Academy offering for perceived and actual service quality. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 22(4), 352–363.

  • Palmer, J. (2002). Web site usability, design, and performance metrics. Information Systems Research, 1(2), 151–167.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parasuraman, A. (2000). Technology readiness index (TRI) a multiple-item scale to measure readiness to embrace new technologies. Journal of Service Research, 2(4), 307–320.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1985). A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future research. Journal of Marketing, 49, 41–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parasuraman, A., Valarie, A. Z., & Malhotra, A. (2005). E-S-QUAL: A multiple-item scale for assessing electronic service quality. Journal of Service Research, 7(3), 213–233.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parboteeah, D., Valacich, J., & Wells, J. (2009). The influence of website characteristics on a consumer’s urge to buy impulsively. Information Systems Research, 20(1), 60–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pavlou, P. A., & Fygenson, M. (2006). Understanding and predicting electronic commerce adoption: An extension of the theory of planned behavior. MIS Quarterly, 30(1), 115–143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pavlou, P. A., & Gefen, D. (2005). Building effective online marketplaces with institution-based trust. Information Systems Research, 15(1), 37–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pavlou, P. A., Liang, H., & Xue, Y. (2007). Understanding and mitigating uncertainty in online exchange relationships: A principal-agent perspective. MIS Quarterly, 31(1), 105–136.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pavlou, P., Dimoka, A. and Housel, T. (2008). Effective use of collaborative IT tools: Nature, antecedents, and consequences. Proceedings of the 41st HICSS Conference, 55–65.

  • Petter, S., Straub, D., & Rai, A. (2007). Specifying formative constructs in information systems research. MIS Quarterly, 31(4), 623–656.

    Google Scholar 

  • Podsakoff, P. M., & Organ, D. W. (1986). Self-reports in organizational research: Problems and prospects. Journal of Management, 12(4), 531–544.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reicheld, F. (2003). The one number you need to grow. Harvard Business Review, 81(12), 46–54.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reichheld, F., & Schefter, P. (2000). E-loyalty. Harvard Business Review, 78(4), 105–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richins, M. L. N. (1983). Word-of-mouth by dessatisfied consumers: A pilot study. Journal of Marketing, 47, 68–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ringle, C., Wende, M., and Sven, A., SmartPLS 2.0, http://www.smartpls.de. 2005.

  • Roberts, K., Varki, S., & Brodie, R. (2003). Measuring the quality of relationships in consumer services: An empirical study. European Journal of Marketing, 37(1–2), 169–196.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rose, G. M., & Straub, D. (2001). The effect of download time on consumer attitude toward the e-service retailer. E-Service Journal, 1(1), 55–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rose, G. M., Meuter, M. L., & Curran, J. M. (2005). On-line waiting; The role of download time and other important predictors on attitude toward e-retailers. Psychology and Marketing, 22(2), 27–151.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenfeld, L., & Morville, P. (2002). Information architecture for the World Wide Web (2nd ed.). Sebastopol California: O’Reilly & Associates Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rust, R. T., & Kannan, P. K. (2003). E-Service: A new paradigm for business in the electronic environment. Communications of the ACM, 46(5), 37–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seiders, K., Berry, L. L., & Gresham, L. (2000). Attention retailers: How convenient is your convenience strategy? Sloan Management Review, 49(3), 79–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seiders, K., Voss, G. B., Godfrey, A. L., & Grewal, D. (2007). SERVCON: Development and validation of a multidimensional service convenience scale. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 35(1), 144–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Setia, P., Venkatesh, V., & Joglekar, S. (2013). Leveraging digital technologies: How information quality leads to localized capabilities and customer service performance. MIS Quarterly, 37(2), 565–590.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shim, J. P., Shin, Y. B., & Nottingham, L. (2002). Retailer web site influence on customer shopping: An exploratory study on key factors of customer satisfaction. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 53(76), 76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skadberg, Y. X., & Kimmel, J. R. (2004). Visitors’ flow experience while browsing a Web site: its measurement, contributing factors and consequences. Computers in human behavior, 20(3), 403–422.

  • Sousa, R., & Voss, C. (2006). A service quality in multichannel services employing virtual channels. Journal of Service Research, 8(4), 356–371.

    Google Scholar 

  • Srinivasan, S. S., Anderson, R., & Ponnavolu, K. (2002). Customer loyalty in e-commerce. Journal of Retailing, 78, 41–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Straub, D. W. (1989). Validating instruments in MIS research. MIS Quarterly, 12(2), 147–169.

    Google Scholar 

  • Straub, D. W., & Carlson, C. L. (1989). Validating instruments in MIS Research. MIS Quarterly, 13(2), 147–166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Szymanski, D. M., & Hise, R. T. (2000). E-satisfaction: An initial examination. Journal of Retailing, 76(3), 309–322.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tan, C. Benbasat, I., Cenfetelli, R.T. (2007). Understanding the antecedents and consequences of e-government service quality: An empirical investigation. Proceedings of Twenty Eighth International Conference on Information Systems, Montreal.

  • Tan, C. W., Benbasat, I., & Cenfetelli, R. T. (2013). IT-mediated customer service content and delivery in electronic governments: An empirical service quality. MIS Quarterly, 37(1), 77–109.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tarafdar, M., & Zhang, J. (2007). Determinants of reach and loyalty — A study of website performance and implications for website design. The Journal of Computer Information Systems, 48(2), 16–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turel, O., Serenko, A., & Bontis, N. (2010). User acceptance of hedonic digital artifacts: A theory of consumption values perspective. Information and Management, 47, 53–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vargo, S. L. (2011). Market systems, stakeholders and value propositions: Toward a service-dominant logic-based theory of the market. European Journal of Marketing, 45(1–2), 217–222.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vargo, S. L., & Lusch, R. F. (2004). The four service marketing myths: Remnants of a goods-based, manufacturing model. Journal of Service Research, 6, 324–335.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vargo, S. L., & Lusch, R. F. (2006). Service-dominant logic: What it is, what it is not, what it might be. In R. F. Lusch & S. L. Vargo (Eds.), The service-dominant logic of marketing: Dialog, debate and directions (pp. 43–56). Armonk: M.E. Sharpe Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Werts, C. E., Linn, R. L., & Jöreskog, K. G. (1974). Interclass reliability estimates: Testing structural assumptions. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 34, 25–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wixom, B. H., & Todd, P. A. (2005). A theoretical integration of user satisfaction and technology acceptance. Information Systems Research, 16(1), 85–102.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yale, L., & Venkatesh, A. (1986). Toward the construct of convenience in consumer research. Advances in Consumer Research, 13, 403–408.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeithaml, V. A. (1998). Consumer perceptions of price, quality, and value: A means-end model and synthesis of evidence. Journal of Marketing, 52, 2–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeithaml, V. A., Berry, L. L., & Parasuraman, A. (1996). The behavioral consequences of service quality. Journal of Marketing, 60, 31–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeithaml, V. A., Parasuraman, A., & Malhotra, A. (2000). Eservice quality: Definition, dimensions, and conceptual model, working paper. Cambridge: Marketing Science Institute.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, 1725 State Street, La Crosse, WI, 54601, USA

    Hua Dai

  2. Information Systems and Operations Management Department, Bryan School of Business and Economics UNC, Greensboro (UNCG), Greensboro, North Carolina, 27402, USA

    Al F. Salam

Authors
  1. Hua Dai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Al F. Salam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hua Dai.

Additional information

Responsible Editors: Jan Marco Leimeister and Hubert Österle

Appendix 1

Appendix 1

Table 5 Measurement items, mean, SD and factor loadings for principal constructs
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Dai, H., Salam, A.F. Does service convenience matter? An empirical assessment of service quality, service convenience and exchange relationship in electronic mediated environment. Electron Markets 24, 269–284 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-014-0170-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-014-0170-x

Keywords

JEL classification

Search

Navigation