E- service quality evaluation and the mediating role of perceived value and customer satisfaction in shaping customer loyalty

context of online shopping in Saudi Arabia

Authors

  • Nof Hazem Alabdali King Abdul-Aziz University Jeddah
  • Khaled Sami Hussain King Abdul-Aziz University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23925/2179-3565.2025v16i3p201-222

Keywords:

E-service quality, Customer loyalty, Perceived value, Customer satisfaction, Online shopping

Abstract

This paper explores the effects between ESQ and CL of online shopping in Saudi Arabia. As the model structures, the PV and CS become a mediator between ESQ and CL. The diagrammatic picture of the structure is as below: It used quantitative research method, and the study was deductive. The questionnaire data were in a structured online questionnaire circulated via Google Forms. The survey was conducted among 209 valid responses of adult users of the Western Region of Saudi Arabia who had made online purchases of products. The data was analyzed by means of SPSS version 23 and SmartPLS version 4 PLS-SEM. In the study, E-SQ displays a robust positive correlation with both PV and CS that significantly influence CL. Both PV and CS interrupted the entire bond between E-SQ and CL.  These results highlight the importance of creating high-quality service experiences that enhance value perceptions and satisfaction to enhance long-term loyalty. In this study, researchers considered only individuals engaged in online shopping in Saudi Arabia, might reduce the extent to which the results are able to be generalized to other locations or countries. The research contributes to the knowledge of digital service quality by integrating e-SERVQUAL dimensions within a loyalty framework. Practical implications include guiding e-commerce platforms and digital marketers in enhancing customer retention by focusing on ESQ, PV, and CS. The insights are particularly relevant to the evolving digital economy in Saudi Arabia.

Author Biography

Khaled Sami Hussain, King Abdul-Aziz University

Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Economics and Administration, Jeddah

References

Adwan, A. S. A., Kokash, H., Adwan, A. A., Alhorani, A., & Yaseen, H. (2020). Building customer loyalty in online shopping: the role of online trust, online satisfaction and electronic word of mouth. International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing, 11(3), 278. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijemr.2020.108132

Ainin, S., Parveen, F., Moghavvemi, S., Jaafar, N. I., & Shuib, N. L. M. (2015). Factors influencing the use of social media by SMEs and its performance outcomes. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 115(3), 570–588. https://doi.org/10.1108/imds-07-2014-0205

Al Hamli, S. S., & Sobaih, A. E. E. (2023). Factors influencing consumer behavior towards online shopping in Saudi Arabia amid covid-19: Implications for E-businesses post pandemic. Journal of Risk and Financial Management, 16(1), 36.‏

Al-Khalidi Al-Maliki, S. Q. (2021). Increasing non-oil revenue potentiality through digital commerce: the case study in KSA. Journal of Money and Business, 1(2), 65-83.‏

Alabdali, M. A., & Husain, K. S. (2023). Understanding the relationship between patient satisfaction and loyalty through telemedicine platform quality: An empirical study. International Journal of Healthcare Management. https://doi.org/10.1080/20479700.2023.2290351

Alarifi, A. A., & Husain, K. S. (2021). The influence of Internet banking services quality on e-customers’ satisfaction of Saudi banks: comparison study before and during COVID-19. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 40(2), 496–516. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijqrm-06-2021-0168

Alateeg, S. S., & Alhammadi, A. D. (2023). Traditional retailer’s intention to opt e-commerce for digital retail business in Saudi Arabia. Migration Letters, 20(7), 1307-1326.‏

Albarq, A. N. (2023). The impact of CKM and customer satisfaction on customer loyalty in Saudi banking sector: The mediating role of customer trust. Administrative Sciences, 13(3), 90.‏

Alqahtani, M., & Albahar, M. A. (2022). The impact of security and payment method on consumers’ perception of marketplace in Saudi Arabia. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 13(5). https://doi.org/10.14569/ijacsa.2022.0130511

Alshhadat, A., & Amoozegar, A. (2022). E-satisfaction as a mediator between information quality, system quality and service quality on e-loyalty in Saudi Arabia. Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7302455

Alzaydi, Z. (2021). The effect of intangible service quality on retailing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. Management Science Letters, 11(8), 2279–2290. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.msl.2021.4.001

Anabila, P., Ameyibor, L. E. K., Allan, M. M., & Alomenu, C. (2022). Service quality and customer loyalty in Ghana’s hotel industry: The mediation effects of satisfaction and delight. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 23(3), 748-770.‏

Anderson, R. E., & Srinivasan, S. S. (2003). E‐satisfaction and e‐loyalty: A contingency framework. Psychology and Marketing, 20(2), 123–138. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.10063

Awan, M. A., Khan, H. U., & Chiang, H. H. (2016). Online banking: A comparative study of Chinese and Saudi customers perceptions of service quality. The Journal of Internet Banking and Commerce, 2016. https://www.icommercecentral.com/open-access/online-banking-a-comparative-study-of-chinese-and-saudi-customers-perceptions-of-service-quality.pdf

Ayinaddis, S. G., Taye, B. A., & Yirsaw, B. G. (2023). Examining the effect of electronic banking service quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty: an implication for technological innovation. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 12(1), 22.‏

Byrne BM. 2010. Structural equation modeling with AMOS: basic concepts, applications, and programming (multivariate applications series). Vol. 396. New York: Taylor & Francis Group. p. 7384

Caruana, A. (2002). Service loyalty. European Journal of Marketing, 36(7/8), 811–828. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090560210430818

Chang, H. H., Wang, Y. H., & Yang, W. Y. (2009). The impact of e-service quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty on e-marketing: Moderating effect of perceived value. Total Quality Management and Business Excellence, 20(4), 423–443. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783360902781923

Cristobal, E., Flavián, C., & Guinalíu, M. (2007). Perceived e‐service quality (PeSQ). Managing Service Quality, 17(3), 317–340. https://doi.org/10.1108/09604520710744326

Daou, L., & Stephan El Khoury, S. (2025). Role of AI in E-Commerce and Retail in the MENA. In AI in the Middle East for Growth and Business: A Transformative Force (pp. 93-112). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.‏

Eid, M. I. (2011). Determinants of E-Commerce customer satisfaction, trust, and loyalty in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, 12(1), 78. https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1P3-2303726631/determinants-of-e-commerce-customer-satisfaction

ELSamen, A. a. A. (2015). Online service quality and brand equity: the mediational roles of perceived value and customer satisfaction. Journal of Internet Commerce, 14(4), 509–530. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332861.2015.1109987

Fida, B. A., Ahmed, U., Al-Balushi, Y., & Singh, D. (2020). Impact of service quality on customer loyalty and customer satisfaction in Islamic banks in the sultanate of Oman. SAGE Open, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244020919517

Hair, J.F., Black, W.C., Babin, B.J., & Anderson, R.E. (2010). Multivariate data analysis: A global perspective. Prentice Hall.

Hsin Chang, H., & Wang, H. W. (2011). The moderating effect of customer perceived value on online shopping behaviour. Online information review, 35(3), 333-359.‏

Khan, M. A., Zubair, S. S., & Malik, M. (2019). An assessment of e-service quality, e-satisfaction and e-loyalty: Case of online shopping in Pakistan. South Asian Journal of Business Studies, 8(3), 283–302. https://doi.org/10.1108/SAJBS-01-2019-0016

Kiran, K., & Diljit, S. (2011). Antecedents of customer loyalty: does service quality suffice?. Malaysian Journal of Library and Information Science, 16(2), 95-113.‏

Kuvaas, B., Buch, R., & Dysvik, A. (2020). Individual variable pay for performance, controlling effects, and intrinsic motivation. Motivation and Emotion, 44(4), 525–533. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-020-09828-4

Lakshman, K., Varalakshmi Reddy, M., & Sunitha, B. K. (2024). ONLINE RETAILING: THE PAST, THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE. YUGATO, 76(1).‏

Li, S., Liu, Y., Su, J., Luo, X., & Yang, X. (2023). Can e-commerce platforms build the resilience of brick-and-mortar businesses to the COVID-19 shock? An empirical analysis in the Chinese retail industry. Electronic Commerce Research, 23(4), 2827-2857.‏

Lim, W. M., Gupta, G., Biswas, B., & Gupta, R. (2022). Collaborative consumption continuance: a mixed-methods analysis of the service quality-loyalty relationship in ride-sharing services. Electronic Markets, 32(3), 1463-1484.‏

Mainardes, E. W., & Freitas, N. P. D. (2023). The effects of perceived value dimensions on customer satisfaction and loyalty: a comparison between traditional banks and fintechs. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 41(3), 641-662.‏

Marcos, A. M. B. D. F., & Coelho, A. F. D. M. (2022). Service quality, customer satisfaction and customer value: holistic determinants of loyalty and word-of-mouth in services. The TQM Journal, 34(5), 957-978.‏

Mir, R. A., Rameez, R., & Tahir, N. (2023). Measuring Internet banking service quality: an empirical evidence. The TQM Journal, 35(2), 492-518.

Mofokeng, T. E. (2021). The impact of online shopping attributes on customer satisfaction and loyalty: Moderating effects of e-commerce experience. Cogent Business and Management, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311975.2021.1968206

Nguyen, H. T., Phan, A. C., & Nguyen, P. H. (2023). How e-service quality influence post-purchase behaviour: the mediating role of perceived value and the moderating of perceived risk. International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing, 14(3), 257-274.‏

Oliver, R. L. (1999). Whence consumer loyalty? Journal of Marketing, 63, 33. https://doi.org/10.2307/1252099

Oxford Business Group (2020). Saudi Arabia turn to e-commerce during Covid-19 outbreak, Retrieved from, https://oxfordbusinessgroup.com/articles-interviews/saudi-arabia-turns-to-ecommerce-during-covid-19-outbreak.

Pakurár, M., Haddad, H., Nagy, J., Popp, J., & Oláh, J. (2019). The Service Quality Dimensions that Affect Customer Satisfaction in the Jordanian Banking Sector. Sustainability, 11(4), 1113.

Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. (1988). SERVQUAL: A multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. Journal of Retailing, 64(1), 12-40.

Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Malhotra, A. (2005). E-S-QUAL a multiple-item scale for assessing electronic service quality. Journal of Service Research, 7(3), 213–233. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670504271156

Pearson, A., Tadisina, S., & Griffin, C. (2012). The role of e-service quality and information quality in creating perceived value: antecedents to web site loyalty. Information Systems Management, 29(3), 201-215.‏

Pham, L., Limbu, Y. B., Le, M. T. T., & Nguyen, N. L. (2023). E-government service quality, perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty: evidence from a newly emerging country. Journal of Public Policy, 43(4), 812-833.‏

Qatawneh, N., Al-Okaily, M., Alkhasawneh, R., Althonayan, A., & Tarawneh, A. (2024). The mediating role of e-trust and e-satisfaction in the relationship between e-service quality and e-loyalty toward e-government services. Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication.‏ https://www.emerald.com/gkmc/article-abstract/doi/10.1108/GKMC-07-2023-0263/1258526/The-mediating-role-of-e-trust-and-e-satisfaction?redirectedFrom=fulltext

Qiu, N., Li, H., Pan, C., Wu, J., & Guo, J. (2024). The Study on the Relationship between Perceived Value, Satisfaction, and Tourist Loyalty at Industrial Heritage Sites. Heliyon, 10(17), e37184. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e37184

Risberg, A. (2023). A systematic literature review on e-commerce logistics: Towards an ecommerce and omni-channel decision framework. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 33(1), 67-91.

Sagar, S. (2024). The Impact Of Digital Transformation On Retail Management And Consumer Behavior. Journal of Business and Management, 26(1), 06-14.‏

Sarabdeen, J. (2023). Laws on regulatory technology (RegTech) in Saudi Arabia: are they adequate?. International Journal of Law and Management. 65(6), 523-537.

Saunders, M. N., Lewis, P., Thornhill, A., & Bristow, A. (2015). Understanding research philosophy and approaches to theory development.‏

Sheu, P. L., & Chang, S. C. (2022). Relationship of service quality dimensions, customer satisfaction and loyalty in e-commerce: a case study of the Shopee App. Applied Economics, 54(40), 4597-4607.‏

Tzeng, S. Y., Ertz, M., Jo, M. S., & Sarigöllü, E. (2021). Factors affecting customer satisfaction on online shopping holiday. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 39(4), 516-532.‏

Umoke, M. J., Umoke, P. C. I., Nwimo, I. O., Nwalieji, C. A., Onwe, R. N., Emmanuel Ifeanyi, N., & Samson Olaoluwa, A. (2020). Patients’ satisfaction with quality of care in general hospitals in Ebonyi State, Nigeria, using SERVQUAL theory. SAGE Open Medicine, 8. https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312120945129

Uzir, M. U. H., Jerin, I., Halbusi, H. A., Hamid, A. B. A., & Latiff, A. S. A. (2020). Does quality stimulate customer satisfaction where perceived value mediates and the usage of social media moderates? Heliyon, 6(12), e05710. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05710

Vatolkina, N., Gorbashko, E., Kamynina, N., & Fedotkina, O. (2020). E-Service Quality from Attributes to Outcomes: The Similarity and Difference between Digital and Hybrid Services. Journal of Open Innovation Technology Market and Complexity, 6(4), 143. https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc6040143

Wang, S., Ye, Y., Ning, B., Cheah, J., & Lim, X. (2022). Why do some consumers still prefer In-Store shopping? An exploration of online shopping cart abandonment behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.829696

Wattoo, M. U., & Iqbal, S. M. J. (2022). Unhiding nexus between service quality, customer satisfaction, complaints, and loyalty in online shopping environment in Pakistan. Sage Open, 12(2), 21582440221097920.‏

Wolf, E. J., Harrington, K. M., Clark, S. L., & Miller, M. W. (2013b). Sample size requirements for structural equation models an evaluation of power, bias, and solution propriety. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 73(6), 913–934.

Yang, Z., & Peterson, R. T. (2004). Customer perceived value, satisfaction, and loyalty: The role of switching costs. Psychology and Marketing, 21(10), 799–822. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20030

Yum, K., & Yoo, B. (2023). The impact of service quality on customer loyalty through customer satisfaction in mobile social media. Sustainability, 15(14), 11214.‏

Zeithaml, V. A. (1988). Consumer Perceptions of Price, Quality, and Value: A Means-End Model and Synthesis of evidence. Journal of Marketing, 52(3), 2. https://doi.org/10.2307/1251446

Zeithaml, V. A., Parasuraman, A., & Malhotra, A. (2000). A conceptual framework for understanding e-service quality : implications for future research and managerial practice. In Marketing Science Institute eBooks. http://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BA51780909

Zhang, N., Liu, R., Zhang, X., & Pang, Z. (2021). The impact of consumer perceived value on repeat purchase intention based on online reviews: by the method of text mining. Data Science and Management, 3, 22–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsm.2021.09.001

Downloads

Published

2025-10-22