Determinants of customer experience in e-services: the case of online universities

Abstract

Purpose -The study analyzes the key drivers of consumer experience in e-services, with the particular goal of defining and quantifying the influence of website quality and university brand assessments on the experience of consumers who are students of a virtual university.Theoretical framework -To carry out the research we analyzed website quality, brand, and customer experience Design/methodology/approach -We carried out a statistical analysis using structural equation modeling of web-based questionnaires collected from 306 postgraduate students of a virtual university.Findings -Our research reveals that the university's brand is the most influential factor. In contrast, the influence exerted by the web environment is lower. Of the three website dimensions, the quality of the system exerts the greatest influence, followed by relationship quality, which is moderated by the role of university staff.Research, practical, and social implications -We propose that the quality of a virtual classroom (quality of the system, quality of information, and service quality), together with students' individual assessments of the brand, determine the students' experience as consumers of this service. The brand assessment is the most important factor.

Young adults’ experience of housing and real estate chatbots in India: effort expectancy moderated model

“…The study conducted by Izquierdo-Yusta et al (2021) investigates the major factors influencing consumer experience in e-services. A statistical analysis of Web-based surveys completed by 306 postgraduate students at a university using structural equation modelling (SEM).…”

“…Oostenbrink (2015) emphasised that speed, versatility, dependability, easy access and also the flexibility of the model of IS studied are used to gauge quality of system. The study conducted by Izquierdo-Yusta et al . (2021) investigates the major factors influencing consumer experience in e-services.…”

Student experience scale: Factor analysis in higher education institutions

“…The student experience (SX) has been a topic of great interest to the higher education services sector since the beginning of 2010 to date (Matus et al, 2021). The changes and trends brought about by globalization and the commercial focus of higher education institutions (HEIs) (Brumby, 2014;Dropulić et al, 2021), have led these organizations to seek financial sustainability and to improve their image and reputation in relation to their competitors (Altbach et al, 2009;Aleixo et al, 2018;Izquierdo-Yusta et al, 2021). Similarly, the constant transformation of HEIs (Friga et al, 2003) has led to their strategic and management approaches being influenced by other factors, for example, the connection with industry (Collofello, 2000;Friedman and Deek, 2003) which is essential to know the relevance of the academic program, especially in the social sciences; the influence of public policies in higher education (Puentes, 2019); the increased use of information and communication technologies (ICT) that impact on the learning experience in the classroom (Tang and Austin, 2009), among other variables.…”

“…Similarly, the constant transformation of HEIs (Friga et al, 2003) has led to their strategic and management approaches being influenced by other factors, for example, the connection with industry (Collofello, 2000;Friedman and Deek, 2003) which is essential to know the relevance of the academic program, especially in the social sciences; the influence of public policies in higher education (Puentes, 2019); the increased use of information and communication technologies (ICT) that impact on the learning experience in the classroom (Tang and Austin, 2009), among other variables. In this regard, the intensive use of ICT applied to higher education has influenced the roles of teachers and students, as well as the management of HEIs (Izquierdo-Yusta et al, 2021). This increased even more during and after the COVID-19 pandemic (Román, 2020).…”

“…In this respect, it is claimed that SX refers to the satisfaction they have with the services and educational programs offered by HEIs (Yap et al, 2022). However, authors such as Izquierdo-Yusta et al (2021), differentiate satisfaction from experience; for example, satisfaction is more objective and related to the results, while experience is more subjective in nature, taking as a reference not only the result but also the process (Srivastava and Kaul, 2016;Shapiro et al, 2017;Izquierdo-Yusta et al, 2021).…”