Development of an integrated scale for the measurement of web-based library service quality

Abstract

This study contributes to the conceptualization of web-based library service quality by exploring and identifying dimensions from user perspectives for the purpose of developing and validating a measurement scale for web-based library service quality. The research objectives are: (a) to identify key attributes underlying the dimensions of web-based library service quality; (b) to identify the relative importance of the dimensions on overall web-based library service quality; and (c) to examine the relationship between web-based library service quality, customer satisfaction, service value and customer loyalty. The study adopts an exploratory mixed-method approach incorporating a seven step scale development procedure, that collects data sequentially in two phases. It begins with a qualitative phase to explore the phenomenon, followed by a quantitative phase to empirically explore the relationships found in the qualitative data. Participants of this study are postgraduate students and lecturers of four research intensive universities in Malaysia. In the first stage, data gathered from focus group discussions resulted in fourteen theoretical dimensions specific to web-based library service quality. Based on these dimensions, a 95 multiple-item survey instrument was generated to test the preliminary measurement scale. Exploratory factor analysis of the quantitative data resulted in a 31 multiple-item scale, representing a multilevel hierarchical model of web-based service quality. Subsequently data from a second survey was subjected to confirmatory factor analysis to verify the operationalization of all constructs of the scale by determining the model fit, reliability and validity. A satisfactory model fit was obtained, which allowed the measurement model to be integrated with three other constructs to examine causal relationships between service quality, customer satisfaction, service value and customer loyalty. The hypothesized relationships are tested by employing path analysis as a special Structural Equation Modeling, SEM, technique available in AMOS 17.0. Results of the path analysis indicate that web-based library service quality and service value do not have a significant direct effect on customer loyalty. Customer satisfaction, however, has a positive direct effect on customer loyalty. The results reveal that customer satisfaction fully mediates the relationship between service quality and customer loyalty, providing evidence that service quality is an antecedent to customer satisfaction. These findings indicate that in order to maintain the loyalty of library users, it is important for libraries to not only provide quality services, but also to increase the level of service value which will subsequently increase user satisfaction that will have a direct impact library users’ loyalty towards library web-services. The seven step procedure for developing an integrated scale used in this study may in future be used to explore service quality dimensions in other electronic library services. It is also recommended that future research investigates the moderating variables that may influence the relationship between customer loyalty and its antecedents.