E‐service quality perceptions: a cross‐cultural comparison of American and Korean consumers

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to compare the e‐service quality perceptions of US and South Korean consumers in relation to overall e‐service quality, e‐satisfaction, and e‐loyalty to understand geographic and cultural differences in relation to the international expansion of e‐business. Design/methodology/approach The data for the study were collected from college‐age internet users in the USA and Korea. A total of 361 questionnaires were deemed as usable for data analysis. Regression analyses were used to test the conceptual model. Findings Privacy and efficiency significantly affected overall e‐service quality and e‐satisfaction for respondents in both Korea and the USA. As for Korean respondents, system availability and fulfillment were significant factors that affected overall e‐satisfaction. The relationships among overall e‐service quality, e‐satisfaction, and e‐loyalty were positively significant between the two countries. Practical implications Using two sets of data from the USA and Korea, the paper examined important e‐service quality dimensions in producing overall e‐service quality and e‐satisfaction which in turn influence e‐loyalty based on respondents' actual shopping experience. The dimensions identified in the study are based on a full assessment of an e‐service experience. Global e‐retailers can use the dimensions identified by the paper to better assess their service performance on an international level. Originality/value The paper is unique in that it is one of the first cross‐cultural examinations of how consumers in two different countries perceived e‐service quality using e‐SQ scale developed by Parasuraman et al.