Journal of Services Marketing

Exploring the relationships between e-service quality, satisfaction, attitudes and behaviours in content-
driven e-service web sites
Jamie Carlson, Aron O'Cass,
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Jamie Carlson, Aron O'Cass, (2010) "Exploring the relationships between e‐service quality, satisfaction, attitudes and
behaviours in content‐driven e‐service web sites", Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 24 Issue: 2, pp.112-127, https://
doi.org/10.1108/08876041011031091
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 Exploring the relationships between e-service
quality, satisfaction, attitudes and behaviours
in content-driven e-service web sites
Jamie Carlson
School of Business and Management, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, Australia, and
Aron O’Cass
Newcastle Graduate School of Business, The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia

Abstract
Purpose – The objective of this paper is to develop a conceptual model to examine the relationships among e-service quality, consumer satisfaction,
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attitudes towards the web site and behavioural intentions in the context of content-driven web sites.
Design/methodology/approach – Data from an online survey of 518 consumers were collected with the partial least squares (PLS) structural
equation modelling technique used to empirically test the model.
Findings – Findings suggest that positive evaluations of e-service quality influences positive levels of consumer satisfaction, consumer attitudes
towards the web site and behavioural intentions within the specific service context of content-driven professional sports web sites.
Research limitations/implications – The study specifically focuses on content-centric web sites within a single service domain being professional
sport. Future research can apply the framework to other service sectors on the internet, as well as to other cultural settings.
Practical implications – The study suggests that practitioners can use the model developed in this study to assist in allocating resources to the
essential, or under-performing, e-service quality attributes needed to drive positive consumer satisfaction, attitudes and behavioural intentions.
Originality/value – The paper proposes and empirically supports the idea that e-service quality influences consumer attitudes as well as consumer
satisfaction and behavioural intentions in the context of content-driven (professional sports) web sites. Moreover, the results of this study provide
managers with a useful framework to manage content driven e-services, as well as for researchers interested in the issue of managing e-service quality.

Keywords Services, Customer services quality, Customer satisfaction, Consumer behaviour, Internet

Paper type Research paper

An executive summary for managers and executive
readers can be found at the end of this article.
Introduction
The internet has transformed how many organisations
communicate and deliver goods and services to their
markets. Electronic service or e-service as it has become
more commonly known is now recognised as one of the key
determinants for successful e-business. The electronic service
encounter between the consumer and service provider (i.e.
firm) differs from the traditional physical encounters
experienced in conventional marketing domains (e.g.
retailing, banking, sporting events) given the absence of
sales staff; the absence of traditional tangible elements, and
customer self-service. As such, increasing attention has been
given to the transition from conventional marketing to
e-marketing and consequently, identifying the determinants
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of success or failure have now evolved from establishing an
information-rich web site presence and offering low prices to
delivering high quality e-services that attract, satisfy and
retain customers (Cox and Dale, 2001; Cai and Jun, 2003;
Trocchia and Janda, 2003).
Despite the increased utilisation of internet technology by
business to consumer organisations as a marketing
communication tool and distribution channel, limited
research exists on how consumers evaluate e-services, and
what are appropriate dimensions of the quality of e-service
delivery. In this area there is still a lack of understanding of
how perceived e-service quality influences positive consumer
experiences and subsequent behaviour in the internet
environment. Understanding the specific drivers of
consumer behaviour outcomes is imperative for marketing
managers to effectively design e-marketing strategies to ensure
that appropriate resources are allocated to enhance customer
loyalty and develop long-term relationships (Novak et al.,
2000; Zeithaml et al., 2002).
A growing body of scholarly work has begun to explore
e-service quality, and consumer responses primarily focusing
on e-retailing. For example, previous studies within the

Journal of Services Marketing

24/2 (2010) 112– 127 Received: April 2007
q Emerald Group Publishing Limited [ISSN 0887-6045] Revised: December 2007
[DOI 10.1108/08876041011031091] Accepted: April 2008

112
 Exploring the relationships
Jamie Carlson and Aron O’Cass
context of e-retail have studied the determinants e-service
quality (e.g. Collier and Bienstock, 2006; Loiacono et al.,
2002; Long and McMellon, 2004; Parasuraman et al., 2005;
Fassnacht and Koese, 2006; Wolfinbarger and Gilly, 2003),
consumer satisfaction (e.g. Anderson and Srinivasan, 2003;
Szymanski and Hise, 2000) and behavioural intentions (e.g.
Bansal et al., 2004; Francis and White, 2002; Yoo and
Donthu, 2001). However, limited research has studied non-
retail centric web sites such as content driven web sites which
contain an emphasis on rich information about a brand and
organization, as well as possessing an online transaction
capability (as opposed to pure online retailing web sites which
focus on selling goods and services).
Limited research has also simultaneously assessed e-service
quality, satisfaction and behavioural intentions in conjunction
with consumer attitudes. This nomological network may be
instrumental in holistically understanding consumers’
e-service experiences across all types of web sites.
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Therefore, the purpose of this study is to enhance our
understanding of e-service quality and examine its
relationship with key consumer behaviour outcomes within
the context of content-driven web sites. To this end, the
conceptual framework is developed, leading to specific
hypotheses with respect to the relationships between service
quality, satisfaction, attitudes and behaviour in an online
context. The research design is outlined, followed by the
presentation of the results and findings. Managerial
implications are provided, as well as directions for research
are then outlined.
Conceptual framework and hypotheses
Previous studies in the traditional commercial environment
relating to conventional marketing have long argued for the
importance of understanding the various attributes of service
quality that drive consumer satisfaction, and associated
consumer behaviour outcomes. Importantly, in the context
of the delivery of e-services, there have been limited attempts
to understand the various attributes of e-service quality. This
is particularly so in the context of the overall impact of
consumer’s evaluation of e-service quality on satisfaction with
the e-service, attitudes toward the firm (or organization),
product or other focal objects and behavioural intentions
toward the object. The theoretical model presented here
identifies the relationships between these constructs in the
e-service context, building on prior work in consumer
behaviour, services marketing and information systems.
Thus, the conceptual model shown in Figure 1 is based on
the well-established theoretical principles for the quality,
satisfaction and intentions chain-of-effects found across
various service settings (e.g. see Anderson et al., 1994;
Cronin and Taylor, 1992; Heskett et al., 1994). Broadly, the
proposed relationships are based on the premise that the
quality attributes of a web site can influence the level of
consumer satisfaction (or dissatisfaction), that will then
influence positive (or negative) consumer attitudes towards
the web site, which in turn influences positive (or negative)
behavioural intentions. These issues are discussed in the
following section, which defines and discusses the key
constructs in the model, and establishes the hypotheses.
E-service quality and consumer satisfaction
Numerous researchers have sought to uncover the attributes
that contribute most significantly to quality assessments by
113
Journal of Services Marketing
Volume 24 · Number 2 · 2010 · 112 –127
Figure 1 Conceptual model of the study
consumers in relation to services consumed (experienced)
(Gronroos, 1983; Parasuraman et al., 1985). Service quality
in traditional service environments refers to a consumer’s
global judgment relating to the superiority of a service
delivered relative to competing offerings (Zeithaml, 1988). In
this context, previous research has supported a strong positive
relationship between service quality and satisfaction (Cronin
et al., 2000; Parasuraman et al., 1988). In delineating between
the two constructs, Oliver (1993) suggests that service quality
is a more specific judgment, which can lead to evaluations of
satisfaction by the consumer.
In the context of the internet, e-service quality is defined as
a consumer’s overall evaluation and judgement of the quality
of the e-service delivery in the internet marketplace (Santos,
2003). Consistent with the traditional definition, it is the
provision of a superior consumer experience in all aspects of
the service delivered via an organisation’s web site. In
addition, it has also been identified by Long and McMellon
(2004) that consumers primarily make their evaluation and
assessment of e-service quality based on the specific attributes
of the web site interface because of the limited human
interaction with the service provider in the delivery of e-
services. Consequently, consumers must either evaluate the
attributes differently from those experienced in conventional
services or rely upon different attributes entirely from those
used in the traditional industry settings (Cox and Dale, 2001;
Long and McMellon, 2004). Therefore, taking this point into
consideration the focus here is on the interaction between the
consumer and the web site interface. However, despite the
lack of agreement on the dimensionality of e-service quality,
extant research does suggest that web site characteristics
influence consumer satisfaction with a web site (e.g.
Evanschitzky et al., 2004; Kim and Stoel, 2004; Szymanski
and Hise, 2000).
Satisfying customers has become a marketing imperative,
with many organizations realizing the value of satisfied
customers in terms of positive brand attitudes, positive
WOM, repeat purchases, and brand loyalty (Spreng et al.,
1995). Consumer satisfaction has been defined as a summary
of affective reactions to a service incident (Oliver, 1980).
Woodruff and Schumann (1993) advocate that satisfaction is
an immediate reaction to how much value is received from
using the product in specific use situations. Taking these views
and relating them to e-services implies that satisfaction would
occur if quality service is perceived to be delivered via the web
 Exploring the relationships
Jamie Carlson and Aron O’Cass
site. Thus, once a customer makes a judgment or appraisal of
quality derived from the total experience offered by the web
site (i.e. service encounter/incident) then satisfaction should
result if the quality judgment is positive as shown in Figure 1.
The available research suggests that consumer satisfaction
is likely to be driven by web site characteristics (e.g. ease of
use), since the web site is the principle interface between the
consumer and the firm (Anderson and Srinivasan, 2003;
Bansal et al., 2004). Further, various quality attributes appear
to have a significant positive impact on consumer satisfaction
(e.g. Collier and Bienstock, 2006; Cristobal et al., 2007; Kim
and Stoel, 2004; Szymanski and Hise, 2000; Wolfinbarger and
Gilly, 2003). That is, the way in which the service is delivered
through a web site plays a critical role in driving consumer
satisfaction. Consequently, positive (or negative) consumer
perceptions of the quality of the various e-service attributes
will result in satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) with the e-service
provided via the web site. That is, if the e-service delivered is
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evaluated as a high quality service, then satisfaction should
result. Thus:
H1. Perceived e-service quality has a significant positive
influence on consumers satisfaction evaluations.
E-service quality and attitude towards the web site
Over many years, objects that deliver sought after benefits
have been shown to influence attitudes positively. For
example, in the context of banking service brands Grace
and O’Cass (2004) found that the service experience
influenced the development of brand attitudes. That is, if
the service delivered was evaluated as being of higher quality,
more favourable attitudes resulted for the branded bank
service consumers. An attitude thus refers to a learned
predisposition to respond to an object or stimulus in a
consistently favourable or unfavourable way (Allport, 1935;
Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975) and is the consumer’s positive,
neutral or negative learned disposition (often as a result of
past evaluative experiences) with respect to the good, service
or brand under consideration (Roest and Pieters, 1997).
Extending this focus to the context of the internet
environment, consumer attitude towards a web site has been
referred to as a predisposition to respond favourably or
unfavourably to the web site (Chen and Wells, 1999). Even
though limited empirical research exists which investigates the
relationship between e-service quality and consumer attitudes
towards a web site, it is argued that various web site attributes
influence the development of consumer attitudes. For
example, it has been found that positive attitudes toward a
web site are associated with three attributes of e-service
quality: entertainment, informativeness, and organisation
(Chen and Wells, 1999; Chen et al., 2002). Further, in the
context of e-retailing and internet shopping, it has been
shown that various e-service quality factors positively
influence consumer attitudes towards the web site (e.g.
Wolfinbarger and Gilly, 2003; Yoo and Donthu, 2001). In
addition to this evidence from marketing, prior studies in the
information systems area applying the TAM to examine web
site effectiveness have found a direct positive relationship with
consumer attitudes (e.g. Lederer et al., 2000; Moon and Kim,
2001; Vijayasarathy, 2004). As such, the available evidence
indicates positive quality evaluations of a web site lead to
positive attitudes towards the web site. Thus:
H2. Perceived e-service quality has a significant positive
influence on consumers’ attitude towards the web site.
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Journal of Services Marketing
Volume 24 · Number 2 · 2010 · 112 –127
E-service quality and behavioural intentions
Prior research in traditional marketing settings across a variety
of services has found a significant positive relationship
between perceived service quality and consumers’
behavioural intentions (e.g. Cronin et al., 2000;
Parasuraman et al., 1988; Zeithaml et al., 1996). In
addition, prior studies within the information systems
literature investigating the adoption of technologies (e.g.
Davis et al., 1989; Lederer et al., 2000; Vijayasarathy, 2004;
Venkatesh and Davis, 2000) have also found that the ultimate
outcome of perceived usefulness and ease-of-use (in using a
variety of information technologies such as software systems,
email and the internet), is increased intention to use.
In the context of the internet environment, perceived
e-service quality can potentially increase behavioural
intentions such as revisiting the web site, consumer
stickiness (i.e. duration of visit to the site), purchase
intention and positive word-of-mouth recommendation
behaviours, which can maximise the online competitive
advantages of e-commerce (Santos, 2003). In this context,
previous e-retail research has found that a direct relationship
exists between e-service quality and various behavioural
intentions. For example, studies have found that e-service
quality is positively correlated with purchase intention and site
revisit (Collier and Bienstock, 2006; Cristobal et al., 2007;
Francis and White, 2002; Loiacono et al., 2002), likelihood to
recommend the web site to others (Bansal et al., 2004; Collier
and Bienstock, 2006; Wolfinbarger and Gilly, 2003) and lead
to a decrease in complaint behaviours (Janda et al., 2002).
Therefore, it is argued that a consumer’s positive assessment
of e-service quality is directly correlated with specific
behavioural intentions. On the other hand, when a
consumer’s assessment of e-service quality is negative, the
consumer will not engage in or avoid specific behaviours, such
as exhibiting negative word of mouth communications,
discontinue visiting the web site or switching to competitor
web sites. As such, e-service quality appears to directly lead to
behaviours such as word-of-mouth recommendation
behaviours, site revisitation and purchase intentions. Thus:
H3. Perceived e-service quality has a significant positive
influence on consumers behavioural intentions.
Consumer satisfaction and attitudes towards the
web site
In relation to consumer satisfaction and attitudes, it has been
found that satisfied consumers develop positive brand
attitudes and brand preference (Bolton, 1998; Oliver, 1980;
Roest and Pieters, 1997) toward the object they are satisfied
with. When satisfaction is treated as a post-purchase
construct, the literature supports the argument that the
liking or relative favourable attitude of the consumer will be
developed on the basis of cumulatively satisfying usage
occasions of the service (Bearden and Teel, 1983; Dick and
Basu, 1994; O’Cass and Grace, 2004). Burton et al. (2001)
argue that “a consumer’s overall attitude derived from the
totality of their beliefs should be dependent on their total
satisfaction, which will in turn be influenced by evaluations
based on both direct experience and information received
from external sources or cues” (p. 222). In addition, Grace
and O’Cass (2005) have found that controlled brand
communications (e.g. advertising and promotions) from the
service provider have a significant positive influence on the
formation of positive brand attitudes. This being the case, it
 Exploring the relationships
Jamie Carlson and Aron O’Cass
can be argued that controlled communication provided by an
organisation’s web site presents the consumer with an
opportunity to “experience the brand” via a quality user
experience (i.e. easy-to-use, delivers value, is interactive,
personalised and timely), which can positively influence the
attitudes of consumers (Dayal et al., 2000).
In the context of the internet environment, previous
research investigating the relationship dynamics between
consumer satisfaction and attitudes has shown that an
increase in consumer satisfaction with the attributes of a
web site is associated with forming positive attitudes towards
that web site (Chen and Wells, 1999; Chen et al., 2002).
Therefore, it can be argued that it is more likely that the level
of consumer satisfaction with a content-driven web site is
decided through the delivery of various attributes (e.g.
response time, ease of navigation). On the other hand, if the
consumer upon experiencing a web site is less than satisfied in
the delivery of sought after attributes (such as poor visual
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appeal, lack of security features and irrelevant information
content), then the initial attitude held by consumers is either
maintained or diminished in valance and direction according
to the level of satisfaction reached through experiencing the
web site. Essentially, a high level of consumer satisfaction with
a web site will increase the consumers’ likelihood of forming
positive attitudes towards the web site. Thus:
H4. Consumers evaluations of satisfaction with a web site
have a significant positive influence on attitudes
towards the web site.
Consumer satisfaction and behavioural intentions
In the context of traditional services evidence exists
identifying a strong relationship between consumer
satisfaction and behavioural intentions across a variety of
service industries (e.g. Bolton and Lemon, 1999; Ram and
Jung, 1991). However, little work exists that focuses on
satisfaction with e-service and behavioural intentions. This
body of work suggests that consumer satisfaction with a
service is strongly associated with positive behavioural
intentions towards the same service provider. Previous
research on the internet indicates similar findings to studies
in traditional service settings, in that a direct relationship
exists between consumer satisfaction with a web site and
various behavioural intentions. For example, previous e-retail
studies have found that satisfied users with a web site
experience are more likely to revisit the site, purchase goods
or services in the future, talk about the site with others and
recommend the site to others seeking advice (e.g. Collier and
Bienstock, 2006; Cristobal et al., 2007; Bansal et al., 2004;
Wolfinbarger and Gilly, 2003). In contrast, dissatisfied
consumers have been found to search for information on
alternative web sites, are more likely to yield to competitor
overtures than a satisfied consumer, are more likely to resist
attempts to develop a closer relationship with the web site,
and are more likely to take steps to reduce dependence on that
web site (Anderson and Srinivasan, 2003; Yoo and Donthu,
2001). Bringing the current work into the context of internet,
it can be argued that consumers who are satisfied with the
delivery of the e-service experience (via various quality
dimensions of a web site) of a content-driven web site will be
likely to exhibit positive behavioural intentions. Thus:
H5. Consumers evaluations of satisfaction have a
significant positive influence on behavioural intentions.
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Journal of Services Marketing
Volume 24 · Number 2 · 2010 · 112 –127
Attitudes towards the web site and behavioural
intentions
In consumer behaviour there is a general consensus that
attitudes impact consumers behavioural intentions (e.g.
Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975; MacKenzie and Lutz, 1989).
The underlying assumption for most of the previous attitude-
behaviour research is that the development of positive
attitudes will produce corresponding behaviour associated
with the attitude object (Griffin and O’Cass, 2004). For
example, it has been shown that attitudes formed through
personal experiences are more likely to predict behaviour than
attitudes formed through indirect marketing communication
(Grace and O’Cass, 2005; Fazio et al., 1989). In the
information systems literature, studies applying TAM to
assess the effectiveness of web sites have found that a user’s
positive attitude towards a web site is significantly and
positively correlated with a favourable intention to reuse and
purchase from the web site (Lederer et al., 2000;
Vijayasarathy, 2004). In the context of the internet, it has
been found similar relationships to studies in the traditional
service settings, in that consumer attitudes towards a web site
are a key determinant of both adoption and usage behaviour
(Bruner and Kumar, 2000; Chen and Wells, 1999; Stevenson
et al., 2000). Given the existing body of work on the
relationship between attitude and behavioural intentions in
both conventional marketing and internet marketing
environments, it is argued that a positive attitude towards a
content-driven web site will result in favourable behavioural
intentions such as revisitation, word of mouth, purchases and
the like. Thus:
H6. Consumer attitudes towards a web site will have a
significant influence on behavioural intentions related
to the web site.
Method
Sampling and questionnaire design
To test the hypotheses a self-administered survey was
developed and administered online. The survey was
designed via an iterative process that has been adopted by
others in consumer behaviour research for generating items
from the literature, submitting the initial pool to expert judges
and focus groups and then pre-testing the instrument prior to
final administration (Converse and Presser, 1986; O’Cass,
2000). Since the population of relevance to the current study
is all consumers who are able to browse an organisation’s web
site which is content-driven, the specific context of sports
consumers in the Australian internet environment was
chosen. Sports coverage on the internet has emerged as one
of the fastest growing content categories (Gray, 2005). In
addition, web sites offering professional sports content have
traditionally rated among the most popular destinations with
the ability to offer rich content spanning time zones and
cultures attracting mass audiences, leading to an expansion of
e-commerce opportunities (Carlson et al., 2003). Thus, the
professional sport sector is of commercial relevance to
examine quality provision of e-services.
Since it was argued that consumers primarily make their
evaluation and assessment of e-service quality based on
various attributes, measurement of e-service quality was based
on Loiacono et al. (2002) WebQUAL scale. The scale consists
of 36 items categorised across four key constructs: usefulness,
ease-of-use, entertainment, and complementary relationship.
 Exploring the relationships Journal of Services Marketing
Jamie Carlson and Aron O’Cass Volume 24 · Number 2 · 2010 · 112 –127

Satisfaction was measured using a four item scale previously
used by Cronin et al. (2000). Attitude towards the web site
construct was measured using a five-item scale derived from
previous web-based studies by Bruner and Kumar (2000),
Chen and Wells (1999) and Stevenson et al. (2000).
Measurement of behavioural intentions was adapted from
Zeithaml et al.’s (1996) behavioural intention battery, which
has become a common measure to assess consumer
behavioural intentions in the traditional services marketing
context. Through a process of item validation using a panel of
expert judges, various alterations were undertaken relating to
content validity of the questionnaire. This resulted in the
development and addition of five new items for the final
survey. In addition, the wording of four items was revised to
ensure the items were clear and unambiguous. All items were
measured on seven-point Likert-type scales, with scale poles
from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (7).
The survey was administered to two sub-samples of sport
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of potential respondents, the exact response rate cannot be
determined. Sample 1 included respondents assessing their
favourite sporting team web site from a multitude of sports via
an online survey. Sample 2 included respondents assessing a
single sporting team web site via an online survey. In total,
518 responses were gathered with 112 (22 per cent) captured
for responses captured in sample 1 (multiple sports-multiple
web sites), while 406 (78 per cent) for sample 2 (single sport-
single sport team web site).
Measurement model results
Based on the formulation of the hypotheses, the objective of
this study is to further develop theory in e-services, which
explores constructs with multiple dimensions. Thus, to
examine the dimensionality of these constructs with multiple
dimensions, component analysis was used. After careful
consideration component analysis was undertaken via partial
least squares (PLS) using PLS graph 3.0 (Chin and Fry,

fans. The first sample consisted of sports consumers who 2000). PLS is a general technique for estimating path models,
browse (and were regular visitors of) their preferred sporting involving latent constructs indirectly observed by multiple
team web site. Thus, respondents were able to base there indicators. A PLS model is formally specified by two sets of
prior web-based experiences on their preferred sporting team, linear relations: the outer model in which refers to the
regardless of sporting competition (i.e. any service provider relationships between the latent and the manifest variables;
[sporting team] within the professional sport sector). This and the inner model where the hypothesised relationships
approach is consistent with previous studies that have between the latent variables are specified and whose
investigated service quality and service experiences across interpretation is as for standardised regression coefficients
multiple service providers within a single industry. For (Chin, 1998a, b; Falk and Miller, 1992; Wold, 1981).
example, Sureshchandar et al. (2002) investigated service Therefore, given the theoretical formulation and the research
quality with customers of various banks, as did Grace and context, component analysis via PLS were selected to assess
O’Cass (2004); and O’Cass and Pecotich (2005) studied a the outer model. The technique is capable of calculating key
single election and voting for various political parties. The output such as factor loadings, weights, average variance
second sample consisted of sports consumers (i.e. the fans) explained (AVE) and composite reliabilities (CR) to establish
who were subscribed members of an Australian professional the validity and reliability (Fornell and Cha, 1994).
sport organisation operating in an elite national sporting The initial preliminary analysis focused on assessing the
competition. This approach is consistent with previous adequacy of the measurement models via evaluation of the
marketing studies that have used a single organisation or component loadings of the items for each measure, the
brand as the focal stimulus in research (e.g. Gummerus et al., reliability of the measures, convergent validity, and the
2004; Riel et al., 2001; Theodorakis et al., 2001). discriminant validity of the various constructs. Table I
A convenience sampling method was selected for each summarises the results concerning the measurement model
sample for data collection. Previous studies investigating related to the assessment of reliability, and convergent
e-service quality and web site effectiveness have shown that a validity, while Table II provides an overview of the
convenience sampling approach is an efficient and acceptable correlation coefficients and descriptive statistics of the
sampling method to adopt (Cai and Jun, 2003; Gummerus constructs under study.
et al., 2004; Park and Kim, 2003; Yoo and Donthu, 2001). Evaluating the reliabilities of the construct was assessed
For the first sample (i.e. multiple sport organisation focus), using two criteria Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliabilities
data collection included distributing an email with an (CR). Cronbach’s alpha can be described as a coefficient of
embedded link to a web site hosting an online survey to reliability that measures how well a set of items measure a
postgraduate marketing students studying subjects such single uni-dimensional latent construct (i.e. inter-item
electronic marketing, sports management and information
systems at a large regional Australian university. In the second Table I AVE and reliabilities for each construct
sample (i.e. single organisation focus), respondents were
targeted through a pre-established membership list from an Sample 1 Sample 2
Australian professional sport organisation operating in an elite Construct AVE CR Alpha AVE CR Alpha
national competition within a large regional market. An Usefulness 0.56 0.94 0.90 0.56 0.94 0.93
e-mail was sent to the entire membership list (i.e. the fans) of
Ease-of-use 0.71 0.94 0.92 0.71 0.94 0.82
the participating professional sport organisation explaining
Entertainment 0.80 0.97 0.94 0.80 0.97 0.97
the purpose and value of the research as well as an email
Complementary relationship 0.59 0.94 0.88 0.60 0.94 0.92
invitation to participate with an embedded link to the web site
hosting the survey. Consumer satisfaction 0.91 0.98 0.97 0.91 0.98 0.96
Attitudes towards the web site 0.93 0.99 0.98 0.93 0.99 0.97
Behavioural intentions 0.90 0.65 0.88 0.65 0.90 0.83
Results
Notes: AVE ¼ average variance explained; CR ¼ composite reliability;
A total of 518 usable responses were obtained across the two Alpha ¼ Cronbach alpha
samples. Since no information is available about the number

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Table II PLS generated component loadings and t-values

Sample 1 Sample 2
Components and manifest variables Loading t-value Loading t-value
Usefulness
I can interact with the web site to get information tailored 0.81 38.02 0.85 41.41
Web site allows me to interact with it for tailored information 0.85 41.41 0.68 21.13
The information on the web site is effective 0.68 21.13 0.71 22.53
Information on the web site is what I need to carry my tasks 0.71 22.53 0.73 24.26
Web site adequately meets my information needs 0.72 24.25 0.83 43.06
Web site has interactive features, which help accomplish task 0.82 43.04 0.72 22.07
I trust the web site to keep my personal information safe 0.72 22.07 0.83 44.30
I trust the web site will not misuse personal information 0.82 44.30 0.84 50.83
I feel that any information communicated is secure 0.84 50.83 0.73 23.20
Little waiting time between my actions and the sites response 0.72 23.20 0.32 5.72
Web site loads quickly 0.32 5.72 0.60 14.02

Ease of use
Display pages within the web site are easy to read 0.86 42.78 0.86 42.79
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The text on the web site is easy to read 0.85 37.21 0.86 37.22
Web site text/labels/menu items are easy to understand 0.82 29.65 0.83 29.66
Learning to operate the web site is easy for me 0.87 48.90 0.87 48.91
It would be easy for me to become skilful at using the site 0.76 19.65 0.76 19.65
I find the web site easy to use 0.86 48.56 0.86 48.56

Entertainment
The web site is visually pleasing 0.90 81.63 0.91 81.63
The web site looks good 0.92 125.23 0.92 125.23
The web site is visually appealing 0.88 76.42 0.89 76.42
The web site has innovative features 0.90 76.60 0.90 76.60
The web site design is innovative 0.86 57.52 0.86 57.52
The web site design is creative 0.90 80.73 0.90 80.73
I feel happy when I use the web site 0.86 57.16 0.86 57.16
I feel cheerful when I use the web site 0.91 96.07 0.91 96.07
I feel excited when I use the web site 0.87 56.39 0.87 56.39

Complimentary relationship
Web site projects an image consistent with the team’s image 0.80 33.88 0.79 33.88
Web site fits with my image of the team 0.86 61.58 0.86 61.58
Web site’s image matches that of the team 0.67 18.64 0.66 18.64
Web site allows transactions online 0.82 51.19 0.82 51.19
All my business can be completed via the web site 0.82 46.06 0.82 46.06
Most all business processes can be completed via the site 0.72 23.74 0.72 23.74
Easier to use the web site than phone, fax or mail 0.78 29.53 0.77 29.53
Web site is easier to use then phoning a rep’tive 0.73 24.88 0.73 24.88

Consumer satisfaction
I am satisfied with my decision to use my team’s web site 0.95 167.27 0.96 167.28
My choice to use my team’s web site was a wise one 0.96 128.02 0.97 128.03
I think I did the right thing in using my team’s web site 0.96 149.61 0.97 149.61
The team’s web site does a good job of satisfying my needs 0.92 89.56 0.92 89.56

Attitude towards the web site

This is a nice web site 0.95 140.08 0.95 140.08
My perception of the teams web site is good 0.95 104.02 0.95 104.02
This is a good web site 0.97 247.64 0.97 247.64
I have a favourable view of the teams web site 0.96 168.53 0.96 168.53
I have a positive attitude towards the teams web site 0.95 103.81 0.95 103.81
I like my team’s web site 0.96 196.97 0.96 196.97

Behavioural intentions
I would not consider switching to another related web site 0.71 20.45 0.72 20.45
I will purchase merchandise from the web site in the future 0.66 17.03 0.66 17.03
I will revisit my team’s web site in the future 0.77 27.09 0.77 27.09
I will say positive things about my team’s web site 0.91 103.61 0.92 103.61
I will recommend the web site to others who seek my advice 0.94 163.38 0.94 163.38

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consistency) and is estimated using the reliability analysis
procedure in SPSS. On the other hand, composite reliabilities
differs from Cronbach’s alpha, which weighs all of the items
equally without factor loading considerations and are
obtained from principal component analysis in PLS (Chin,
1998a). As recommended by Nunnally (1978), the reliability
scores were scrutinised to ensure that they met the desired
criteria of . 0.70 as reliable indicators of the construct. The
results of reliabilities and factor analysis for each construct are
outlined below. As advocated by Shi and Wright (2001) items
with factor loadings , 0.35 were deleted. The results of
reliabilities for each construct are presented in Table I and
discussed below.
Convergent validity
Fornell and Larcker (1981) argue that convergent validity is
achieved if the average variance explained (AVE) in items by
their respective constructs is greater than the variance
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correlations were higher than their respective reliabilities.
These findings provide evidence for discriminant validity.
Also as shown in Table III, the results for sample 2 indicate
that correlations in sample 2 ranged from 0.17 to 0.90 with
the Cronbach alphas ranging from 0.82 to 0.97 revealing that
no correlations were higher than their respective reliabilities.
These findings provide evidence for discriminant validity.
Having completed the preliminary data analysis, the
measures of all constructs are argued to possess acceptable
validity and reliability. The next stage of analysis focuses on
testing the outer model for the aggregate sample. That is, at
this point both samples were combined into one for testing
the outer model. The outer model parameters as depicted in
the Figure 1 were estimated using partial least squares (PLS)
which estimates path models involving latent constructs
indirectly observed by multiple indicators. Another major
advantage of PLS is that the outer model formulation
explicitly allows for the specification of both reflective and

unexplained (i.e. AVE . 0.50). To assess the constructs for

convergent validity, the squared multiple correlations from the
principal component factor analysis derived in PLS were used
to calculate the AVE. The analysis indicate that all constructs
have an average variance explained (AVE) greater than or
equal to 0.50, therefore meeting the recommended criteria for
convergent validity. Table III presents the AVE and reliability
scores for each construct within each sample. Having assessed
convergent validity, an evaluation of discriminant validity as
recommend by Gaski and Nevin (1985) and O’Cass (2002)
was initiated.
Discriminant validity
To assess discriminant validity the method outlined Gaski and
Nevin (1985) and O’Cass (2002) was adopted, whereby the
correlation between two composite constructs should not be
higher than their respective reliabilities. Applying this
technique to the data, the composite construct correlations
derived from the PLS analysis were compared to the
reliabilities calculated through Cronbach alphas. As shown
below in Table III, the results for sample 1 indicate that
correlations in sample 1 ranged from 0.17 to 0.86 with the
Cronbach alphas ranging from 0.70 to 0.98 revealing that no
formative models.
An examination of the outer model indices (results) was
undertaken via average variance extracted (AVE) and
bootstrap critical ratios (t-values). The component loadings
and weights were also examined, along with composite
reliabilities (CR) as calculated for each component of the
model in PLS. The results of testing the outer model appear
below in Table V. The results show that the items in the
aggregate model had loadings ranging from 0.53-0.92 (all
being above Shi and Wright’s (2001) criteria of . 0.35). The
results of the composite reliability analysis indicated
reliabilities ranged from 0.90 to 0.99, which were all above
the . 0.70 criteria, indicating good reliability of all scales. All
constructs had an average variance explained (AVE) greater
than or equal to 0.50, therefore meeting the recommended
criteria for convergent validity.
One of the essential decision rules for determining the
measurement model is the covariance among indicators
(Jarvis et al., 2003). As shown above in Table IV, analysis of
e-service quality (usefulness, ease of use, entertainment, and
complimentary relationship) indicate a weak covariance
among the four second order constructs. Therefore, as

Table III Construct correlations and reliabilities

Construct V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7
Sample 1
Usefulness 0.90
Ease-of-use 0.63 0.92
Entertainment 0.76 0.56 0.94
Complementary relationship 0.86 0.64 0.76 0.89
Consumer satisfaction 0.63 0.47 0.60 0.55 0.97
Attitude towards the web site 0.68 0.52 0.81 0.69 0.77 0.98
Behavioural intentions 0.70 0.56 0.70 0.68 0.67 0.68 0.88

Sample 2
Usefulness 0.93
Ease-of-use 0.79 0.82
Entertainment 0.69 0.69 0.97
Complementary relationship 0.78 0.78 0.85 0.92
Consumer satisfaction 0.86 0.79 0.82 0.86 0.96
Attitudes towards the web site 0.81 0.73 0.90 0.83 0.88 0.97
Behavioural intentions 0.80 0.82 0.78 0.79 0.85 0.83 0.83

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Jamie Carlson and Aron O’Cass Volume 24 · Number 2 · 2010 · 112 –127

Table IV Outer model results for aggregate model (reflective constructs)

Aggregate
Components and manifest variables Loading Weights t-value AVE CR
Usefulness 0.53 0.93
I can interact with the web site to get information tailored 0.79 38.25
Web site allows me to interact with it for tailored information 0.83 46.51
The information on the web site is effective 0.66 21.11
Information on the web site is what I need to carry my tasks 0.68 22.26
Web site adequately meets my information needs 0.70 23.18
Web site has interactive features, which help accomplish task 0.80 42.55
I trust the web site to keep my personal information safe 0.71 22.21
I trust the web site will not misuse personal information 0.80 42.67
I feel that any information communicated is secure 0.82 46.41
Little waiting time between my actions and the site’s response 0.70 22.36
Web site loads quickly 0.30 5.95
Ease of use 0.71 0.94
Display pages within the web site are easy to read 0.85 43.30
The text on the web site is easy to read 0.84 41.97
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Web site text/labels/menu items are easy to understand 0.82 33.51

Learning to operate the web site is easy for me 0.87 56.54
It would be easy for me to become skilful at using the site 0.77 24.27
I find the web site easy to use 0.86 47.78
Entertainment 0.78 0.97
The web site is visually pleasing 0.89 74.49
The web site looks good 0.91 120.33
The web site is visually appealing 0.87 65.82
The web site has innovative features 0.89 89.73
The web site design is innovative 0.85 57.05
The web site design is creative 0.90 90.23
I feel happy when I use the web site 0.84 58.01
I feel cheerful when I use the web site 0.90 96.04
I feel excited when I use the web site 0.86 66.67
Complementary relationship 0.58 0.93
Web site projects an image consistent with the team’s image 0.78 35.49
Web site fits with my image of the team 0.85 63.66
Web site’s image matches that of the team 0.64 16.08
Web site allows transactions online 0.82 51.32
All my business can be completed via the web site 0.82 53.77
Most all business processes can be completed via the site 0.68 17.58
Easier to use the web site than phone, fax or mail 0.75 28.45
Web site is easier to use then phoning a representative 0.71 22.65
Consumer satisfaction 0.91 0.98
I am satisfied with my decision to use my team’s web site 0.95 186.76
My choice to use my team’s web site was a wise one 0.96 135.67
I think I did the right thing in using my team’s web site 0.96 140.51
The team’s web site does a good job of satisfying my needs 0.91 87.40
Attitude towards the web site 0.92 0.99
This is a nice web site 0.95 145.56
My perception of the teams web site is good 0.95 103.71
This is a good web site 0.96 247.24
I have a favourable view of the teams web site 0.96 176.05
I have a positive attitude towards the teams web site 0.95 140.16
I like my team’s web site 0.96 201.12
Behavioural intentions 0.64 0.90
I would not consider switching to another related web site 0.69 19.01
I will purchase merchandise from the web site in the future 0.64 19.02
I will revisit my team’s web site in the future 0.77 30.95
I will say positive things about my team’s web site 0.92 108.20
I will recommend the web site to others who seek my advice 0.93 128.52
(Formative constructs)
E-service quality (formative type II outer model) weights
Usefulness 0.28 68.43
Ease of use 0.25 58.75
Entertainment 0.28 70.20
Complementary relationships 0.28 80.00
Notes: AVE ¼ Average variance explained; CR ¼ Composite reliability

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Jamie Carlson and Aron O’Cass Volume 24 · Number 2 · 2010 · 112 –127

Table V PLS results for the theoretical models

Predicted variable Predictor variables Hypothesis Path Variance due to path R2 Critical ratio
Sample 1
Consumer satisfaction E-service quality H1 0.66 0.44††† 0.44†† 84.321 *
Attitudes towards the web site E-service quality H2 0.47 0.37††† 8.937 *
Consumer satisfaction H3 0.46 0.35††† 0.72†† 2.943 * *
Behavioural intentions E-service quality H4 0.55 0.42††† 5.943 *
Consumer satisfaction H5 0.28 0.18††† 4.754 *
Attitude towards the web site H6 0.05 0.35††† 0.95†† 3.603 *
AVA 0.70††

Sample 2
Consumer satisfaction E-service quality H1 0.90 0.59††† 0.59†† 84.320 *
Attitudes towards the web site E-service quality H2 0.55 0.43††† 8.928 *
Consumer satisfaction H3 0.39 0.30††† 0.73†† 2.943 * *
Behavioural intentions E-service quality H4 0.24 0.30††† 5.943 *
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Consumer satisfaction H5 0.42 0.29††† 4.754 *

Attitude towards the web site H6 0.26 0.18††† 0.77†† 3.603 *
AVA 0.70††
Notes: * Meets or exceeds criteria of . 3.290; * * meets or exceeds criteria of .2.576; * * * meets or exceeds criteria of .1.96; † meets or exceeds criteria of
.1.64; †† meets or exceeds criteria of . 0.10; ††† meets or exceeds criteria of . 0.015; ns not significant

theorized earlier, e-service quality was measured via a Type II
formative model (Diamantopoulos and Winklhofer, 2001), in
which e-service quality (second order construct) was treated
as a latent variable formed by four first order components
with reflective indicators including usefulness, ease of use,
entertainment and complementary relationship. The results
shown below in Table IV indicate that the loadings were
acceptable for all items in the four second order components
and all t-values were greater than the recommended cut-off
criteria of 1.96. Also, the second order construct e-service
quality as represented by the formative elements as shown in
Table IV indicates that all the weights were acceptable with all
t-values .1.96.
Having discussed the outer model results for the aggregate
model, the following section presents the results of the
hypothesis testing of the theoretical model shown in Figure 1.
Structural model results
The proposed model of the study, presented in Figure 1,
suggests relationships among a group of latent or
unobservable theoretical constructs. These constructs were
measured via multiple manifest variables. Since the model
hypothesises different relationships between several latent
predictors and predicted variables measured with multiple
measures, structural equation modelling (SEM) is considered
to be a valid approach for comprehensively testing the
multiple relationships (Bollen and Long, 1993; Gerbing and
Anderson, 1988). The objective in PLS is to estimate the
model parameters “based on the ability to minimize the
residual variances of dependent variables (both latent and
observed)” (Chin, 1998b). The structural model (in terms of
the inner model) approximates the case values of the latent
variables, estimated as weighted means of the latent variables
that are adjacent in relation to the inner structure. PLS is
recommended for predictive models rather than explanation
(Barclay et al., 1995) and offers several advantages over other
approaches to SEM. For example, PLS does not make any
presumptions regarding distributions, is capable of estimating
complex models while using small sample sizes (Barclay et al.,
1995; Chin, 1998a) and does not require interval scale
measurement (Pulos and Rogness, 1995). Further, PLS is not
hampered by collinearity among manifest variables. Further,
the current study achieved a sample size of 112 responses for
sample 1, and 406 responses for sample 2. Chin and
Newstead (1995) state that the minimum sample size
required for covariance based techniques (e.g. AMOS and
LISREL) is 200, whereas for PLS the minimum sample size
ranges from 30 to 100. Therefore, the sample size of the
current study achieved the benchmark for using PLS.
The assessment of the support or otherwise for the
hypotheses is not made using a single general fit index, but
multiple indices as used by Lohmoller (1989) and O’Cass
(2002). These indices are characterised by their quality and
their ability to explain the data congruence with systematic
expectations and precision. Consequently, various indices are
identified (Fornell and Cha, 1994; O’Cass, 2002), including
the r-squared for exogenous-endogenous relationships,
average variance accounted for (AVA) in the model,
regression weights and critical ratios.
The key benchmarks established for PLS derived results are
obtained from Chin (1998a) and O’Cass and Grace (2003)
who state that bootstrap ratios are acceptable at greater than
1.96, p , 0.05, being defined as the ratio between estimate
and standard errors, the critical values greater than 1.64 (for
one-tailed test) and 1.96 (two tailed test) are statistically
significant at 90 per cent and 95 per cent. To reject a null
hypothesis at the 0.05 level, the critical ration should be
greater than 1.96 if it is a two-tailed test.
In addition to the critical ratios, the individual r-squared
must be inspected with values to be greater than 0.10 (10 per
cent) meeting the recommended level (Falk and Miller,
1992). It is therefore, necessary to identify if the paths
associated with the constructs are significant. Falk and Miller
(1992 p. 74), suggest that an appropriate criterion for

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 Exploring the relationships
Jamie Carlson and Aron O’Cass
evaluating the significance of the individual paths is the
absolute value of the product of the path coefficient and the
appropriate correlation coefficient. Because paths are
estimates of the standardised regression weights, this
produces an index of the variance in an endogenous variable
explained by that particular path (Grace and O’Cass, 2005),
with 0.015 (1.5 per cent) of the variance being the
recommended cut-off point. The indices provide evidence
for the existence of the relationships rather than definite
statistical tests which may be contrary to the philosophy of
soft modelling as outlined by Falk and Miller (1992) and
others as no distributional assumptions are made. With this,
the next stage of analysis was to test the inner model that is
based on the hypotheses. The analysis specifically focuses on
the relationships between e-service quality, consumer
satisfaction, attitudes towards the web site, and behavioural
intentions.
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Inner model results
The inner model focuses on the relationships between
e-service quality, consumer satisfaction, attitudes towards
the web site and behavioural intentions. Table V summarizes
the hypothesis results for the model for sample 1 and
illustrates the path coefficients between the exogenous and
endogenous variables, AVA, r-squared and critical ratios.
As shown above in Table V, all paths exceeded all of the
recommended criterions. Therefore, all of the paths exceeding
the criterions are significant and exhibit positive relationships.
For example, the results indicate that the AVA for the
endogenous variables was 0.70 and the individual R-squares
are all greater than the recommended 0.10 cut-off (Falk and
Miller, 1992) for the predicted variables of consumer
satisfaction, attitudes towards the web site, and behavioural
intentions. With all R-squared estimates being larger than the
recommended level, it is appropriate, then, to examine the
significance of the individual paths associated with these
variables (Falk and Miller, 1992), with 0.015 (1.5 per cent) of
the variance being the recommended cut-off point. With
regards to the bootstrap critical ratios, all of the paths
exceeded the .1.96 criterion. The results also show that 44
per cent of the variance in consumer satisfaction is explained
by e-service quality, whereas e-service quality and consumer
satisfaction, explain 72 per cent of the variance in attitudes
towards the web site. In addition, e-service quality, consumer
satisfaction and attitudes towards the web site explain 95 per
cent of the variance in behavioural intentions.
The results for the model for sample 2 are shown in Table
V. The table illustrates the path coefficients between the
exogenous and endogenous variables, AVA, R-squared and
critical ratios. The results show that the AVA for the
endogenous variables was 0.61 and the individual R-squares
are greater than the recommended 0.10 (Falk and Miller,
1992) for the predicted variables of consumer satisfaction,
attitudes towards the web site and behavioural intentions.
With all R-squares estimates being larger than the
recommended level, the significance of the paths associated
with these variables (Falk and Miller, 1992) was then
examined. As indicated above 0.015 (1.5 per cent) of the
variance is the recommended cut-off point.
The results of the analysis suggest that all paths exceeded
the 0.015 criterion and that the bootstrap critical ratios
for eight paths are greater than 1.96. For example, when
the predicted variable was consumer satisfaction, the path
exceeded this criterion and the bootstrap critical ratio greater
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Journal of Services Marketing
Volume 24 · Number 2 · 2010 · 112 –127
than 1.96. The results also indicate that 59 per cent of the
variance in consumer satisfaction is explained by e-service
quality, whereas e-service quality and consumer satisfaction
explain 73 per cent of the variance in attitudes towards the
web site. In addition, e-service quality, consumer satisfaction,
and attitudes towards the web site explain 77 per cent of the
variance in behavioural intentions.
The results for the model for both samples combined are
shown below in Table VI. The table illustrates the path
coefficients between the exogenous and endogenous variables,
AVA, R-squared and critical ratios. The results show that the
AVA for the endogenous variables was 0.61 and the individual
R-squares are greater than the recommended 0.10 (Falk and
Miller, 1992) for the predicted variables of consumer
satisfaction, attitudes towards the web site and behavioural
intentions. With all R-squares estimates being larger than the
recommended level, the significance of the paths associated
with these variables (Falk and Miller, 1992) was then
examined. As indicated above 0.015 (1.5 per cent) of the
variance is the recommended cut-off point (O’Cass, 2002).
Having presented the results for each sample separately, as
well as the samples combined, a comparative analysis was
performed to test the differences between the strengths of
relationships (paths) within the inner model. This test
determines if the structure of the model differs between the
two samples (i.e. multiple sport organisations vs a single sport
organisation). The test is analogous to a t-test, and tests for
the differences between the strengths of relationships within
the inner model. This analysis was undertaken using a
procedure advocated by Chin (2002), and documented by
Keil et al. (2000). This approach treats the estimates of the
re-sampling for each model in a parametric sense, through
t-tests. On this basis, the models within each sample were
compared to determine if there were differences between the
strength of relationships within the inner model paths. This
analysis was undertaken using a procedure outlined by Grace
and O’Cass (2005). In this analysis, the bootstrap estimates of
the re-sampling are treated as t-tests of tests of difference
between the corresponding paths in each model. A parametric
assumption is made and the standard errors are taken for the
structural paths provided by the PLS software in the
re-sampling output. The t-tests are then manually calculated
to determine the differences in paths between groups using
the formula:
qffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
 
Spooled ¼ ½ ðN 1 2 1Þ=ðN 1 þ N 2 2 2Þ
£ SE 21 þ ½ ðN 2 2 1Þ=ðN 1 þ N 2 2 2Þ
£ SE 22
Then:
h pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffii
t ¼ ðPC 1 2 PC 2 Þ= S pooled £ ð1=N 1 þ 1=N 2 Þ
where:
.
Spooled ¼ pooled estimator for the variance.
.
t ¼ t-statistic with N 1 þ N 2 2 2 degrees of freedom.
.
N1 ¼ sample size of dataset for study 1.
.
N2 ¼ sample size of dataset for study 2.
.
SEi ¼ standard error of path in structural model of
e-service i.
.
PCi ¼ path coefficient in structural model of e-service i.
The results of the differences between the strengths of
relationships are shown below in Table VII. Tests between the
corresponding structural paths of both models that resulted in
t-values . 1.96 were deemed to be significantly different.
 Exploring the relationships Journal of Services Marketing
Jamie Carlson and Aron O’Cass Volume 24 · Number 2 · 2010 · 112 –127

Table VI PLS results for the theoretical model for aggregate sample
Predicted variable Predictor variables Hypothesis Path Variance due to path R2 Critical ratio
Consumer satisfaction E-service quality H1 0.86 0.74 0.74 44.19 * * *
Attitudes towards the web site E-service quality H2 0.54 0.48 8.57 * * *
Consumer satisfaction H3 0.34 0.28 0.76 2.80 * *
Behavioural intentions E-service quality H4 0.39 0.34 5.97 * * *
Consumer satisfaction H5 0.38 0.31 4.53 * * *
Attitude towards the web site H6 0.17 0.14 0.79 2.02 *
AVA 0.76
Notes: *Meets or exceeds criteria of . 1.96; * *meets or exceeds criteria of . 2.576; * * *meets or exceeds criteria of .3.290

Table VII Differences in strength of relationships

Sample 1 Sample 2
Hypotheses Path Std error Path Std error t-value
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H1. E-service quality – consumer satisfaction 0.90 0.01 0.66 0.11 44.23
H2. E-service quality – attitudes towards the web site 0.55 0.06 0.47 0.16 7.44
H3. Consumer satisfaction – attitudes towards the web site 0.39 0.07 0.46 0.17 26.92
H4. E-service quality – behavioural intentions 0.24 0.08 0.55 0.24 2 22.66
H5. Consumer satisfaction – behavioural intentions 0.42 0.09 0.28 0.12 13.12
H6. Attitudes towards the web site – behavioural intentions 0.26 0.07 0.05 0.18 18.65

Discussion 2001) and not within content-driven web sites. In addition,

The objective of this study was to explore consumer
evaluations of e-service quality in the context of content-
based web sites. A particular focus of the study was to
investigate the influence of e-service quality evaluations on
consumer behaviour outcomes such as consumer satisfaction,
attitudes towards the web site and behavioural intentions.
Data were collected in the business to consumer internet
environment and used to validate the developed model using
the professional sport sector as the context.
The findings suggest that positive e-service quality (of a
content-driven web site) influences consumer satisfaction
within the specific service context of sport. As such, we can
conclude that if e-service is delivered and evaluated as being
of sufficient quality, then satisfaction with the service
delivered will result. Along with the impact of e-service
quality on consumer satisfaction, the theoretical development
also hypothesised that consumer perceptions of e-service
quality impacts the development of consumer attitudes
towards the web site. In this context, the findings indicate
that e-service quality acts as an antecedent to sports
consumer’s attitudes towards a sporting team web site.
Thus, the findings suggest that sports consumers will develop
a favourable predisposition to a content-based web site where
they perceive the web site to deliver a high quality of e-service.
Given the role of consumer attitudes towards the web site
has been absent from most previous e-service quality models
within the e-retail and non e-retail settings, the findings shed
new light on the influence this construct has on consumers
within the internet environment. It shows that when sports
consumers experience and evaluate key e-service attributes of
a sports team web site, they will then formulate an evaluation
of like or dislike towards the sports team web site. This is a
new finding, as previous studies have investigated this
relationship within the e-retail context only (e.g. Chen and
Wells, 1999; Wolfinbarger and Gilly, 2003; Yoo and Donthu,
the findings further substantiate previous research in the
traditional environment, that direct consumer service
experiences influence the development of consumer
attitudes (Grace and O’Cass, 2004; Roest and Pieters,
1997). Therefore, this study now expands such research to
consumer behaviour with sports consumers of content-driven
web sites, revealing that e-service quality influences consumer
attitudes towards the sporting team web site.
Much of the marketing literature in a variety of different
settings focuses on consumers’ behavioural intentions, and as
shown in Figure 1, the focus in this study was on sports
consumers’ behavioural intentions consumers of content-
driven web sites. The results indicate that sports consumers’
perceptions of e-service quality have a positive influence on
behavioural intentions within the internet environment. While a
considerable amount of research has investigated e-service
quality and its influence on behavioural intentions in the e-
retailing context, limited research has investigated other service
contexts such as the sport sector. Thus, the findings shed new
light and provide a new perspective on the influence e-service
quality has on consumers’ behavioural intentions within the
internet environment. This finding within the context of
content-driven web sites builds upon previous studies exploring
e-service quality in e-retailing, which show that positive
consumer perceptions of e-service quality influence the
development of positive behavioural intentions. For example,
Collier and Bienstock (2006), Janda et al. (2002) and Loiacono
et al. (2002) all found that consumer perceptions of the various
attributes of the e-service contribute to the development of
various behavioural intentions. The findings here show that
high levels of e-service quality can potentially increase
consumer behavioural intentions such as the increased
likelihood of revisiting the web site, purchase of products/
services from the web site, providing positive word-of-mouth
recommendation behaviours to others, and a reduced
likelihood to switch to a competitor web site.

122
 Exploring the relationships
Jamie Carlson and Aron O’Cass
The results also indicate that consumer satisfaction of a
content-driven web site influences attitude towards the
(sports team) web site. This result shows that the influence
of consumer satisfaction on sports consumers’ attitudes
towards the (sports team) web site is consistent with the
findings of research conducted in traditional settings
investigating consumer satisfaction and its influence on
consumer attitudes. For example, controlled brand
communications (e.g. such as information via a web site)
from the service provider has a significant positive influence
on the formation of positive brand attitudes according to
Grace and O’Cass (2005). On this basis, consumers satisfied
with a brand should develop positive brand attitudes (Burton
et al., 2001; O’Cass and Grace, 2004; Oliver, 1980; Roest and
Pieters, 1997). Thus, the findings of this study extend
previous research by showing that consumer satisfaction (with
a sports team web site), will influence attitudes towards the
(sports team) web site. As such, it shows that sports
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consumers will experience positive consumer attitudes
towards the sports team web site when they are satisfied
with the delivery of e-service (via the attributes of usefulness,
ease of use, entertainment and complimentary relationship).
The results also show that consumer satisfaction influences
behavioural intentions of sports consumers. This finding is
consistent with findings in existing internet-based models in the
e-retailing context, which have shown that positive consumer
satisfaction with the e-service experience influences positive
behavioural intentions (e.g. Bansal et al., 2004; Collier and
Bienstock, 2006; Wolfinbarger and Gilly, 2003). The findings
are consistent with the view found within the traditional services
literature that consumer satisfaction with various attributes of
the service consumption experience influences behavioural
intentions (e.g. Anderson and Sullivan, 1993; Cronin and
Taylor, 1992; Cronin et al., 2000). Subsequently, the findings of
this study extend previous research found in the e-retailing
service setting, by examining consumer satisfaction (with
various attributes of a sports team web site), and how
satisfaction influences behavioural intentions of sports
consumers within content-driven web sites.
The findings also indicate that sports consumers
behavioural intentions toward a sports team web site are
influenced by their attitude towards the web site. As such, the
findings in this study indicate that consumers develop a
favourable predisposition to a sports team web site based on
their overall assessment of the web site (i.e. the service
experience), this will in turn influence their behavioural
intentions (either positive or negative). Because most of the
previous studies have been conducted within the e-retailing
sector, this finding provides new insight by showing that
consumer attitudes, formed through personal experiences via
the attributes of the e-service (e.g. usefulness, ease of use),
influences behavioural intentions within the sport context of
the business to consumer internet environment. The results
also reflect the earlier findings from internet-based studies in
marketing and information systems, where for example, it has
been shown that positive consumer attitudes towards internet
advertising are a key determinant of both adoption and usage
behaviour (Bruner and Kumar, 2000; Stevenson et al., 2000).
This is particularly the case in the context of information
systems research, which has investigated TAM in the context
of web site effectiveness. For example, previous studies have
shown that positive consumer attitudes significantly influence
behavioural intentions to use the web site (e.g. Moon and
Kim, 2001; Lederer et al., 2000; Vijayasarathy, 2004). The
123
Journal of Services Marketing
Volume 24 · Number 2 · 2010 · 112 –127
findings that consumer attitudes towards the web site
influences their behavioural intentions is consistent with the
findings of previous research within the traditional consumer
behaviour studies in that attitudes influence intentions
(Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975; Dick and Basu, 1994).
Finally, the findings indicated that the model remained
structurally unchanged across the two samples, which were
based on consumer perceptions of e-services from multiple
sport organisations and a single sport organisation. However,
some minor differences in the strength of specific paths were
found between the two samples. Thus, the findings indicate
that the model is a robust predictor of consumers’ evaluations
across two different samples (i.e. multiple sport organisations
versus single sport organisation) in the specific context of
sport content-driven web sites.
Implications
Marketing practitioners require frameworks and models that
enable them to better understand their consumers in the
internet environment. Thus, the model in this study offers
practitioners “a clear picture” and a useful tool to better
understand their consumers, why they are attracted to the
e-service, and how they react within the business to consumer
internet environment. For example, the theory developed here
shows that consumers evaluate the quality of an e-service via
four key dimensions including: usefulness, ease of use,
entertainment, and complimentary relationship, which
practitioners need to consider in ensuring the quality of a
content driven e-service. Based on positive quality assessments
by consumers of a content driven e-service, practitioners can
expect that these evaluations will result in consumer satisfaction
with the e-service. This is important since satisfied consumers
develop more favourable attitudes, which can then influence
behavioural intentions, such as revisit the web site, purchase
products/services from the web site, engage in positive
recommendation behaviours, as well as reduce the likelihood
of consumers switching to a competitors e-service offering.
Practitioners can also use the model developed in this study
as a diagnostic tool to continuously monitor and assess
consumer needs and preferences of an e-service. Thus,
practitioners can examine the strengths and weaknesses of
various attributes of a web site (i.e. the e-service).
Importantly, based on these consumer assessments of
quality, practitioners can then allocate corporate resources
to the essential, or under-performing, e-service quality
attributes needed to drive positive consumer satisfaction,
attitudes and behavioural intentions. Consequently,
practitioners can benchmark e-service performance with
regular quality assessments by consumers, which may enable
more efficient management of their internet activities. Such
benchmarking activities could be replicated annually, or once
per quarter, to assess changes in consumer tastes and
preferences over time. In addition, these regular assessments
are important to determine if changes in various e-service
quality attributes have had the desired effect on improving
consumer satisfaction levels with the e-service. Therefore,
constant monitoring of consumer satisfaction concerning the
key e-service quality attributes identified in this study can lead
to a more effective e-marketing strategy and a customer-
centric approach to e-service provision.
 Exploring the relationships
Jamie Carlson and Aron O’Cass
Limitations and future research directions
The delimitations of the study are presented to clearly identify
the boundaries within which the study operates. First, the
study specifically focuses on content-centric web sites within
the business to consumer marketplace. Thus, the business-to-
business context is not examined and application to this
environment should be taken with caution. Second, data
collected for the study focused on one particular type of
service domain, being sport. Generalisation of the findings to
other service contexts (such as travel, finance and particularly
e-retail shopping web sites) should be taken with care and
would require further investigation. Third, the data for the
sample were collected within the Australian consumer
context, and generalisation of the findings to other cultures
should be attempted with care. Finally, as is the case with data
collected via judgmental and convenience sampling
techniques, generalisability of results to the larger
Downloaded by UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO LIBRARIES At 11:53 25 May 2018 (PT)
population should be made with caution. Although the
delimitations reported here are recognised, they do not affect
the level of significance of the results of this study.
A close examination of the findings and limitations reveals a
number of potential further avenues for research. First, the
findings in this study provide a theoretical foundation for
consumer evaluations of e-service quality and its influence on
consumer behaviour of content-driven web sites in the context
of Australian sports consumers. It was also noteworthy that
this was investigated across two different samples (multiple
organisations vs single organisation) within the context of
sport. Therefore, it is suggested that the model be further
examined within other diverse sectors of the internet. In
particular, it would be worthwhile to explore the research
model across other content-based web sites from other service
sectors since perceptions of e-service quality has been argued
to be context-dependent and thus their detailed effects on
purchase intentions may be related to specific products and
services (Lee and Lin, 2005), as well as the impact of culture
(Tsikriktsis, 2002). This could include other business to
consumer segments (e.g. tourism, financial services,
professional services), business-to-business categories (e.g.
corporate web sites, extranets) and business to government
sites of government agencies (e.g. such as tax, healthcare and
export trade and investment). Further research such as this,
will provide deeper insight and understanding into consumer
evaluations of content-driven e-services.
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About the authors
Jamie Carlson is a Lecturer in Marketing at the Faculty of
Business and Law, the University of Newcastle. He holds a
Bachelor of Business, majoring in Marketing, and a PhD in
Management. His research interests include e-service
performance issues, consumer behaviour and international
marketing.
Aron O’Cass is Chair of Marketing and Assistant Dean
Research at the Newcastle Graduate School of Business, the
University of Newcastle. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce,
majoring in Marketing, a Master of Business majoring in
Marketing and a PhD in Consumer Behaviour. Professor
O’Cass has published over 150 research papers on issues related
to brand perceptions, consumer behaviour, political marketing,
voter behaviour, export marketing, fashion, organizational
learning and innovation, sustainable competitive advantage,
and numerous other issues. His publications appear in journals
such as the Journal of Business Research, European Journal of
Marketing, Journal of Economic Psychology, Journal of Product &
Brand Management, Journal of Vacation Marketing, Journal of
Advertising and the Journal of Consumer Behaviour and others.
Aron O’Cass is the corresponding author and can be contacted
at: aron.ocass@newcastle.edu.au
 Exploring the relationships
Jamie Carlson and Aron O’Cass
Executive summary and implications for
managers and executives
This summary has been provided to allow managers and executives
a rapid appreciation of the content of the article. Those with a
particular interest in the topic covered may then read the article in
toto to take advantage of the more comprehensive description of the
research undertaken and its results to get the full benefit of the
material present.
Sports fans’ attitudes towards their chosen teams are shaped
partly by how well the team performs and how entertaining
they are. Fans tend to be highly-critical, demand winning
performances against any competition and, if they get quality
and satisfaction from the sportsmen, the fans are likely to be
loyal and supportive. So why should it be any different in their
assessment of their team’s web site or other content-driven
sports web sites?
Downloaded by UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO LIBRARIES At 11:53 25 May 2018 (PT)
Sports team managers need to constantly assess the
performance and abilities of their players. So why should it
be any different for managers of web site delivery services who
need to constantly monitor the site’s strengths and weaknesses
and evaluate the effectiveness of individual attributes?
Despite a body of work to explore e-service quality and
consumer responses to e-retailing, limited research has
studied non-retail centric web sites such as content-driven
sites which contain an emphasis on rich information about a
brand and organization, as well as possessing an online
transaction capability (as opposed to pure online retailing web
sites which focus on selling goods and services).
In “Exploring the relationships between e-service quality,
satisfaction, attitudes and behaviours in content-driven
e-service web sites: experiences from the professional sport
sector” Jamie Carlson and Aron O’Cass present a model
which offers practitioners a clear picture and a useful tool
to better understand their consumers, why they are attracted
to the e-service, and how they react within the business to
consumer internet environment. For example, the theory
developed shows that consumers evaluate the quality of an
e-service via four key dimensions including: usefulness, ease
of use, entertainment, and complementary relationship,
which practitioners need to consider in ensuring the quality
of a content driven e-service.
Based on positive quality assessments by consumers of a
content-driven e-service, practitioners can expect that these
evaluations will result in consumer satisfaction with the
service. This is important since satisfied consumers develop
more favourable attitudes, which can then influence
behavioural intentions, such as to revisit the web site, to
buy products/services from the web site, to engage in positive
recommendation behaviours, as well as to reduce the
likelihood of consumers switching to a competitor’s
e-service offering.
Practitioners can also use the model developed in the study
as a diagnostic tool to continuously monitor and assess
consumer needs and preferences of an e-service. By doing so
practitioners can examine the strengths and weaknesses of
To purchase reprints of this article please e-mail: reprints@emeraldinsight.com
Or visit our web site for further details: www.emeraldinsight.com/reprints
127
Journal of Services Marketing
Volume 24 · Number 2 · 2010 · 112 –127
various attributes of a web site (i.e. the e-service).
Importantly, based on these consumer assessments of
quality, practitioners can then allocate corporate resources
to the essential, or under-performing, e-service quality
attributes needed to drive positive consumer satisfaction,
attitudes and behavioural intentions.
Consequently, practitioners can benchmark e-service
performance with regular quality assessments by consumers,
which may enable more efficient management of their internet
activities. Such benchmarking activities could be replicated
annually, or once a quarter, to assess changes in consumer
tastes and preferences over time. In addition, these regular
assessments are important to determine if changes in various
e-service quality attributes have had the desired effect on
improving consumer satisfaction levels with the e-service.
Therefore, constant monitoring of consumer satisfaction
concerning the key e-service quality attributes identified in
this study can lead to a more effective e-marketing strategy
and a customer-centric approach to e-service provision.
To reach these conclusions, two sub-samples of sport fans
were surveyed. The first sample consisted of sports consumers
who browse (and were regular visitors of) their preferred
sporting team web site. Consequently, these respondents were
able to base their prior web-based experiences on their
preferred sporting team, regardless of sporting competition
(i.e. any service provider [sporting team] within the
professional sport sector). The second sample consisted of
sports consumers (i.e. the fans) who were subscribed
members of an Australian professional sport organization
operating in an elite national sporting competition.
It was found that positive e-service quality (of a content-
driven web site) influences consumer satisfaction within the
specific service context of sport. If e-service is delivered and
evaluated as being of sufficient quality, then satisfaction with
the service delivered will result. E-service quality acts as an
antecedent to sports consumers’ attitudes towards a sporting
team web site. Thus, sports consumers will develop a
favourable predisposition to a content-based web site where
they perceive it to deliver a high quality of e-service.
When sports consumers experience and evaluate key
e-service attributes of a sports team web site, they will then
formulate an evaluation of like or dislike towards it. The
results also indicate that sports consumers’ perceptions of
e-service quality have a positive influence on behavioural
intentions within the internet environment.
High levels of e-service quality can potentially increase
consumer behavioural intentions such as the increased
likelihood of revisiting the web site, purchase of products/
services from the site, providing positive word-of-mouth
recommendation behaviours to others, and a reduced
likelihood to switch to a competitor web site.
(A précis of the article “Exploring the relationships between
e-service quality, satisfaction, attitudes and behaviours in content-
driven e-service web sites”. Supplied by Marketing Consultants for
Emerald.)
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