E-Services Quality: A Perspective of Service Providers and Service Users

Electronic service, refers to services offered over the information and communication technologies. These services are becoming increasingly important with continuously developed application in various domains (business, government, education and health) as these services provide benefits to all parties concerned from service providers, service users and the society. This chapter will shed light in e-services, definitions, components, and characteristics. As service providers want to boost the efficiency and quality to reach more users to utilize these services, a prime challenge in developing these services with high quality to meet users expectation becomes a must. Quality plays a major role to keep up a trust between service providers and users. Eight main quality dimensions are proposed as per the studies to examine the perspective of service providers and service users for government services (personalization, usability, performance, web design, security, user involvement, satisfaction and loyalty)

Методология Оценки Качества Веб-Сайта Универсальная Звезда: первая вершина – «Содержание»

The Internet continues to grow at a fast pace with over 1.5 billion websites in 2019 as compared with only one in 1991. The emergence of enormous websites of various complexities and types makes assessing the quality of these sites a vastly important, difficult and complicated task. With this concern, the current paper proposes a novel approach for website assessment by developing a new Website Quality Evaluation Methodology Universal Star (WQEMUS) with a theoretical and empirical basis. It became possible through the employment of the  grounded  theory  methodology  that  enables  relevant  concepts  to  emerge  from  data. To improve the reliability and validity of the findings, an extensive literature review, in-depth and qualitative interviews, and a user evaluation survey were conducted and associated together. In this way, the study presents the results of the selection and categorization of generic quality attributes for WQEMUS with a three-tier structure, consisting of top-level quality criteria, sub-criteria and indicators. These quality dimensions are grounded on a combination of subjective and objective indicators. Consequently, WQEMUS becomes capable of estimating a wide range of different websites irrespective of domain affiliation and services they provide, including Web 3.0 sites.Интернет продолжает расти быстрыми темпами, более чем 1,5 млрд веб-сайтов в2019 г. по сравнению только с одним в1991 г. Появление огромных веб-сайтов различной сложности и типов делает оценку качества этих сайтов чрезвычайно важной и трудной задачей. В связи с этим в статье представлен новый подход к оценке веб-сайтов путем разработки новой Методологии Оценки Качества Веб-Сайтов Универсальная Звезда (МОКВУЗ) на теоретической и эмпирической основе. Чтобы повысить надежность и достоверность результатов исследования, были приведены обширный обзор литературы, углубленные и качественные интервью и оценки пользователей. Таким образом, в статье представлены результаты отбора и  категоризации общих  атрибутов качества для МОКВУЗ с трехуровневой структурой, состоящей из критериев качества высшего уровня, субкритериев и показателей. Эти аспекты качества основаны на сочетании субъективных и объективных показателей. Следовательно, МОКВУЗ становится способной оценивать широкий спектр различных веб-сайтов независимо от принадлежности к домену и предоставляемых ими услуг, включая сайты Веб 3.0

Assessment of the quality of international court libraries: a study of the African Union Court on Human and Peoples’ rights Library

Text in EnglishThe study sought to assess the quality of library services by investigating the gaps between various service quality variables using the LibQUAL, SERVQUAL and SERVPERF models. The pragmatic paradigm formed the basis of this study while the mixed methods approach was adopted. The convergent parallel mixed methods design where both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods and data were integrated was adopted. Using the side-by-side comparison style, both sets of data were separately analysed and presented. The results were then compared to establish if they confirm or disconfirm each other. Questionnaires were administered to 94 users of the library. To calculate the level of service quality, the study measured the service adequacy gap (SAG), service superiority gap (SSG), zone of tolerance (ZoT), and D-M scores. Followup focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted to validate, supplement and further explore the issues that arose from data collected using the questionnaires. The findings revealed a gap between the users’ expectations and perceptions of service quality and that library services were not meeting users’ expectations. The users’ expectations exceeded their perceptions since all service quality scores (SAG, SSG, ZoT and D-M scores) were either low or negative. Generally, the library performed well in the dimensions that touch on human aspects of the library but did poorly in the aspects that touch on information collections, library space and equipment. There were no significant differences between the protocols, with the overall gaps between perceptions and desires being all negative. The findings of the FGDs confirmed those of the questionnaires. The study recommended that the Court should allocate resources in a way that ensures human aspects of the library remain at high levels of service quality, while the shortcomings on aspects of information control, library space and equipment addressed. However, while addressing the physical space aspects, the library should bear in mind that users did not rate them as important for their purposes. This means that the library will need to invest in electronic content that can be accessed remotely by users. In view of the findings, the study concluded by developing a service quality framework on quality improvement and its sustenance at the library and the Court at large.Information ScienceD. Litt. et Phil. (Information Science

Dissemination of information and visibility of the European Higher Education Area through the websites of Spanish universities: a longitudinal metric analysis, 2007-2012

This paper draws on the findings from previous research work to present the UNIWEEES tool, designed to evaluate the quality of university websites that provide information about the European Higher Education Area (EHEA), already a reality, and the way they disseminate this information. This tool includes seven criteria (visibility, authority, updatedness, accessibility, dissemination of information, quality assessment, and navigability), further divided into 29 subcriteria that include 60 indicators. A peer-to-peer expert unified evaluation methodology was followed. Findings are presented here, focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of the information provided about the EHEA by the websites of Spanish universities and their dissemination strategies, in particular through their evolution along the last 5 years. Conclusions highlight a number of best practices identified and provide some guidelines to improve the evaluated aspects and dimensions, thus strengthening the role played by the university websites as quality information sources for the scholar community and the society

Designing a New Model for Organizational Websites Evaluation

The current web evaluation models are mainly based on the technical evaluation of the site and its appearance and usability from user's perspective. In other words, the site is evaluated as an independent entity from the underlying organization that it represents. The focus of this study is on evaluation of organizations' websites based on the quality management concepts. In this way, the measured performance indicators will be used to find the deficiencies of the websites and recommend corrections. For evaluating the organization’s success in its website function, the concept of quality management is used and since evaluation and improvement are the center of attention in this model, the model is called Ev-Imp, which Ev stands for evaluation and Imp stands for improvement. Model includes four main components consist of objectives, processes, criteria and feedback. With the use of feedback tools such as quantitative and qualitative questionnaire for groups of stakeholders and service providers ,the website’s weaknesses and strengths would be identified and with analyzing the website’s weaknesses required improvement would be determined and corrective action would be don

User Satisfaction with Personalised Internet Applications

The study focuses on user satisfaction with websites and personalised internet applications in particular. The abundance of information on the web is increasing more and more. Therefore, the significance of websites targeting the users’ preferences, like personalised Internet applications, is rising. The aim of this study was to find out which factors determine user satisfaction with personalised internet applications. Factors like the usefulness of the information or trust towards how personal information is handled were considered. A large-scale user survey evaluating three internet applications (from the travel, e-learning and real estate domains) was conducted. Expert opinions were collected to complement the results and provide insights from users’ and experts’ points of views

Three Research Essays on the Effects of Charity Website Design on Online Donations

This dissertation, which comprises three essays, examines the effects of charity website characteristics on people\u27s attitudes and online donation behaviors based on the elaboration likelihood model of persuasion (Essay 1), the halo effect (Essay 2), and self-schema, congruity, and visual rhetoric (Essay 3). Essay 1: The Elaborating Role of Personal Involvement with Charity Giving and Helper\u27s High on the Effects of Website Quality: Multiple Roles of Variables Although the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) has been utilized for decades, researchers have not leveraged its full capabilities and richness in understanding the multiple roles postulate and employing the central and peripheral routes to persuasion. The central theme of this study is that cues can assume multiple roles, serving as central or peripheral cues, depending on an elaboration state. Moreover, this study asserts that a variable cannot be determined as a central or peripheral cue without consisting the elaboration state and associated theoretical explanations. This study theorizes and empirically tests the multiples roles postulate in the context of charity website and online donations. Using websites as a persuasion channel, this study investigates the effects of charity website quality, consisting of information content quality and system quality, on attitude toward the charity website, which in turn influences willingness to donate to the charity website. In keeping with the multiple roles postulate, this research investigates two charity-specific motivational constructs, personal involvement with charity giving and helper\u27s high as elaboration states, proposing that people with high personal involvement are more likely to be persuaded by information content, including financial, performance, and donation information. Likewise, individuals who reflect greater helper\u27s high, will rely more on system quality characteristics (including navigability, download delay, visual aesthetics, and security) in evaluating and forming their attitudes toward the charity websites. The results of structural equation modeling supported all hypotheses. This study extends the ELM by supporting the multiple roles postulate that has not received adequate attention in prior research and introducing charity-specific elaboration motivations. Essay 2: Beautiful is Good and Good is Reputable: Multi-Attribute Charity Website Evaluation and Reputation Formation under the Halo Effect The halo effect has been extensively employed to understand how people make judgments of quality about an object. However, there is little research on how people evaluate multi-attribute objects and what types of salient halos exist in their evaluation. In addition, little research has investigated the initial reputation formation of an unknown object. Based on these two research lacuna, the purposes of this study is to identify if there are evidences of various salient halos in evaluating multi-attributes objects and to theorize initial reputation formation. To accomplish these research objectives, this study employs charity websites as a multi-attribute donation channel consisting of three dimensions of information contents (mission, financial, and donation assistance information) and four dimensions of system functionalities/features (i.e., navigability, download speed, visual aesthetics, and security). This study proposes collective halo, aesthetics halo, two-sided quality halo, quality halo, and reputation halo in the context of charity website evaluation. The results of structural equation modeling and other analyses show evidence of the proposed halos. Essay 3: The Effects of Schema Congruity and Visual Consistency on Social Judgment of Charity Websites Effectively designed websites can positively enhance the donors\u27 perceptions so as to facilitate online donations. Drawing on extensive research on self-schema, congruity, and visual rhetoric, this study examines the effects of schema congruity (SC) and visual consistency (VC) on the perceived warmth and competence of charity websites. This study theorizes schema-visual congruity, an interaction between SC and VC. Using a controlled lab experiment, this study finds significant main effects of schema congruity and visual consistency on perceived warmth and competence. Also, there is a positive interaction between SC and VC, supporting the need for schema-visual congruity as a determinant of perceived warmth and competence. Consistent with prior eCommerce and donation research, this study finds that positive perceptions of charity websites (i.e., warmth and competence) increase attitude toward donation to the website, which in turn influences donation intention

User Satisfaction with Personalised Internet Applications

The study focuses on user satisfaction with websites and personalised internet applications in particular. The abundance of information on the web is increasing more and more. Therefore, the significance of websites targeting the users’ preferences, like personalised Internet applications, is rising. The aim of this study was to find out which factors determine user satisfaction with personalised internet applications. Factors like the usefulness of the information or trust towards how personal information is handled were considered. A large-scale user survey evaluating three internet applications (from the travel, e-learning and real estate domains) was conducted. Expert opinions were collected to complement the results and provide insights from users’ and experts’ points of views

The effect of Web interface features on consumer online shopping intentions

Amid the storm of hype over Internet adoption, it is observed that during the past years, organizations have taken considerable interest in eagerly acquiring computer hardware and software to implement electronic commerce (e-commerce) applications mostly to the detriment of human aspects of the information technology (IT) solutions (Freemantle, 2002; Lockwood & Lamp, 2000). Various Internet technologies, mostly the Web, have been implemented to offer online goods and services. Many credible estimates suggest that Internet buying and selling will account for close to $2 trillion of annual economic activity by 2004 (Citrin et al., 2003; Fry, 2000). While the promise of the Internet has become a reality many businesses cannot afford to ignore, use of this medium for communication and information has not been matched by its equivalent use for shopping (Citrin et al., 2003). Most notable are Web design problems that frustrate consumers\u27 online exchange activities (A. T. Kearney, 2000). This study proposes that features incorporated in the design of Web site interfaces can affect consumer online behavioral intentions to purchase and revisit. The study draws upon theories and prior studies in the fields of management, consumer behavior, management information systems, and related disciplines to address the research question of whether and how Web site interface design features determine online consumers\u27 perceptions, attitudes, flow experienced, and their online purchase and revisit intentions. Using data from a sample of 266 online consumers, the “best fit” structural model was selected among three a priori structural models. Results of the study confirmed most of the relationships hypothesized in the research model. It was found that, indeed, different categories of interface features have different influence levels on consumers\u27 perceptions. Whereas motivator factor was significantly related to the perceived informativeness, entertainment, and irritation; hygiene factor indicated significant relationships with only irritation. The study also found statistically significant support for the relationships between most of the perceptual variables and perceived usefulness of the site as well attitude toward the site. The role of flow experienced in determining purchase and revisit intentions received statistically significant support. Overall, the results of this study provide important insights into the online consumer experience, with implications for academic research and e-commerce systems design

HOW DO WEBMASTERS EXPLAIN WEBSITE QUALITY?

This paper investigates how webmasters in first prize winning companies of web awards explain website quality. In order to gain insights into website quality descriptions, we held qualitative interviews with webmasters in eight Norwegian companies. The outcome is grounded theory models of how webmasters representing four ideal types of websites explain website quality. By using the left side of the DeLone and McLean IS Success Model which captures information quality, system quality and service quality, this paper discusses the webmasters’ explanations of website quality. The aim is to shed light on the diversity of explanations that webmasters may have, and to explore the potential of the webmaster perspective on website quality. The results show that webmasters explain website quality differently, depending on the type of website, with user friendliness being a repeated key word. Information quality is assessed at different levels, as are the types of services provided for users. Although webmasters seems to have users’ interests in mind, user-satisfaction requirements appear to be absent from a webmaster’s perspective. The paper concludes that there is not a clearly expressed relation between the degree of investments in user driven activities in order to improve website quality and winning a national website award. A discussion of the use of quality criteria and evaluation methods for website quality is given. The paper ends with implications for practitioners and academia