Measuring the Mediating Roles of E-Trust and E-Satisfaction in the Relationship between E-Service Quality and E-Loyalty: A Structural Modeling Approach

Abstract

Despite a plethora of research studies on service quality, in general, and electronic (e) service quality, in particular, studies often focus on either understating the dimensions of e-service quality or its direct relationship with other variables such as customer e-satisfaction, e-trust, and e-loyalty. This study developed a comprehensive theoretical model to examine both direct and indirect influence of e-service quality on the e-loyalty of hotel customers in their usage of online travel agencies (OTAs). The research examines the mediating effect of e-trust and e-satisfaction in the relationship between e-service quality and e-loyalty. The research adopted a quantitative approach through a questionnaire survey for data collection from hotel customers who adopt OTAs for choosing their hotel services. Data collected from the questionnaires were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results confirmed all direct relationships among e-service quality, e-trust, e-satisfaction, and e-loyalty. However, the results did not confirm a mediating role of either e-trust or e-satisfaction in the relationship between e-service quality and e-loyalty. Nonetheless, the results interestingly showed that both variables (trust and e-satisfaction) have a mediating role in the relationship between e-service quality and e-loyalty. The results of this research have numerous implications for senior tourism marketers, as well as marketing scholars.

Keywords

• e-service quality
• e-trust
• e-satisfaction
• e-loyalty
• online travel agencies (OTAs) hotel industry