The development of an e-travel service quality scale

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify the dimensions of e-travel service quality, and to develop a reliable and valid measurement instrument. The concept of an e-service quality construct is first clarified and the processes involved in scale development are then presented. Five core components of e-travel service quality are identified, namely, information quality, security, website functionality, customer relationships and responsiveness. The reliability and validity of this five-factor scale are verified using empirical data, and it is found that the e-travel quality service scale has strong predictive capability in relation to online customer satisfaction and loyalty intention. Moreover, a second-order factor is constructed due to the high correlation among the five factors. Finally, the managerial implications in regard to the research findings are discussed.

Introduction

The way of doing business in the tourism industry has been changed dramatically due to the development of information technology. The rapid growth in the size of the e-travel service business is clear evidence of this. According to Focus on Internet News Data (2004), there were 64 million US users searching for travel-related information online in 2003, and 35% of Canadians browsed through Web-based tourist information (Focus on Internet News Data, 2003). Expenditure on e-tourism amounted to US$22.7 billion in 2002, and the Forrester Research report predicts that this figure will increase to US$50 billion in 2007 (Focus on Internet News Data, 2002).

The Internet has become one of the most important platforms for travel-related service entrepreneurs to provide services and communicate information with their target customers. The number of travel-related websites has grown rapidly during the past decade, and the competition has become more intensive then ever. To survive, or even succeed, entrepreneurs need to be customer-orientated. An e-service company should see things through customers’ eyes, realize their needs, and design an online service system that can meet customers’ expectations. Therefore, understanding how clients define e-service quality is crucially important for a company doing business in the world of the Web.

In spite of these developments, only few studies related to e-travel service qualities have been published so far. Kaynama and Black (2000), for instance, have developed E-QUAL, which is grounded on the well-known SERVQUAL instrument (Parasuraman, Zeithaml, & Berry (1985), Parasuraman, Zeithaml, & Berry (1988)). These two researchers made adjustments the attributes of e-commerce in order to evaluate the service performance of online travel agencies. However, the contents of their service quality constructs were brief and ambiguous, and the proposed conceptual framework was not verified either. Kim and Lee (2004) identified the dimensions of Web service quality both for online travel agencies and online travel suppliers, but they did not perform further research in regard to scale development.

The measurement of e-travel service quality may involve the adoption or modification of a hands-on scale (e.g., Loiacono, Watson, & Goodhue, 2002; Yoo & Donthu, 2001). However, whether or not the scale would be sufficiently effective in capturing the Internet-based travel service attributes is questionable. As far back as the early 1990s’, Carman (1990) suggested that a degree of caution should be exercised while using SERVQUAL since each service industry might have its own unique dimensions. Carman's suggestion may be applicable to online service cases in that the dimensions from other service settings may not adequately address some of the more critical issues associated with the assessment of e-travel services.

Based on the above reasoning, instead of merely using modified versions of a ready-made scale, there is a need to explore service sector-specific attributes and develop a suitable quality measurement for travel websites. The primary purpose of this study is therefore to identify the components of e-travel service quality and their inter-relationships, and based on this fundamental task, develop and verify a measurement instrument. The research processes focus on investigating and identifying those features that are perceived by customers as being the necessary elements of service quality for achieving their satisfaction.

Here, e-travel services refer to the services provided by the websites of intermediary firms and agencies that make up the sector. The websites are populated by traditional brick-and-mortar or hybrid organizations that facilitate communication and transactions between customers and travel-related service providers (e.g., airlines, hotels, and car rental firms).

The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. First, the extant related literature is reviewed and then the criteria used in evaluating e-travel service quality are introduced. These criteria are sorted into certain e-service quality dimensions drawn from prior studies with regard to other online service settings. The methodology applied in identifying the quality factors and verifying the latent structure is then illustrated, and this is followed by the research results. Finally, the major research findings and managerial implications are discussed.