Measuring E-Service Quality: Reviewing E-S-QUAL

Abstract.

The absence of a valid and reliable scale to measure e-service quality forced early researchers to make use of some fairly unsatisfactory alternatives. To improve these previous studies, Parasuraman et al. (2005) developed and operationalized E-S-QUAL, a multi-item scale for examining website service quality. This study reviews the literature on E-S-QUAL focusing particularly on the methodology used, new suggestions to be made, and limitations associated with the adoption of the scale. The review shows that the scale is effective in capturing core e-service quality. The dimensions of efficiency, system availability and privacy are represented consistently in the various models, regardless of the type of e-service. In contrast, the dimension of fulfillment appears not to be generic but specific to particular e-service contexts such as websites selling physical goods. This study is the first to undertake an extensive literature review of the development of e-service quality scales and to provide important insights into the application of E-S-QUAL.