Business service quality in an e‐commerce environment

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate how to improve business service quality (BSQ) in an e‐commerce environment. It also serves as a basis for developing a BSQ measurement instrument in an e‐commerce environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines BSQ along four inter‐organisational business process transactions. The focus is mainly on understanding the buyer's expected service and identifying main BSQ dimensions to satisfy the buyers.

Findings

Four main BSQ quality dimensions including marketing service, logistics service, operations service and collaboration service are identified along the inter‐organisaitonal business process. Four propositions are then offered. Additionally, customised business service quality is also discussed.

Research limitations/implications

This research calls for a need to test the propositions through a questionnaire survey, where quantitative analysis will be conducted to identify the extent to which various BSQ dimensions affect the buyers' overall satisfaction. In addition, it would be worthwhile to investigate the linkage between BSQ and buyer performance.

Originality/value

With the rapid growth of e‐commerce, business environments are demanding higher level of service quality than ever before. In this context, the contribution of this paper is to look at how to improve BSQ along the inter‐organisational process transactions.

Citation

Yang, Y., Humphreys, P. and McIvor, R. (2006), "Business service quality in an e‐commerce environment", Supply Chain Management, Vol. 11 No. 3, pp. 195-201. https://doi.org/10.1108/13598540610662086