• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.57-63
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• 2009

With an exponential increase in electronic commerce (e-commerce), marketers are attempting to gain a competitive advantage by emphasizing service quality and post interaction service aspects, which leads to customer satisfaction or behavioral consequence. Particularly for apparel, service quality is one of the key determinants in encouraging customer e-loyalty, and hence the success of apparel retailing in the context of electronic commerce. Therefore, this study explores e-service quality (E-SERVQUAL) factors and their unique effects on e-loyalty for apparel online shopping based on Parasuraman et al' s (2005) framework. Specific objectives of this study are to identify underlying dimension of E-SERVQUAL, and analyze a structural model for examining the effect of E-SERVQUAL on e-loyalty for online apparel shopping. For the theoretical framework of service quality in the context of online shopping, literatures on traditional and electronic service quality factors were comparatively reviewed, and two aspects of core and recovery services were identified. This study hypothesized that E-SERVQUAL has an effect on e-loyalty; customer satisfaction has a positive effect on e-service loyalty for apparel online shopping; and customer satisfaction mediates in the effect of E-SERVQUAL on e-loyalty for apparel online shopping. A self-administered questionnaire was developed based on literatures. A total of 252 usable questionnaires were obtained from online consumers who had purchase experience with online shopping for apparel products and reside in standard metropolitan areas, in the United States. Factor analysis (e.g., exploratory, confirmatory) was conducted to assess the validity and reliability and the structural equation model including measurement and structural models was estimated via LISREL 8.8 program. Findings showed that the E-SERVQUAL of shopping websites for apparel consisted of five factors: Compensation, Fulfillment, Efficiency, System Availability, and Responsiveness. This supports Parasuraman (2005)'s E-S-QUAL encompassing two aspects of core service (e.g., fulfillment, efficiency, system availability) and recovery related service (e.g., compensation, responsiveness) in the context of apparel shopping online. In the structural equation model, there are five exogenous latent variables for e-SERVQUAL factors; and two endogenous latent variables (e.g., customer satisfaction, e-loyalty). For the measurement model, the factor loadings for each respective construct were statistically significant and were greater than .60 and internal consistency reliabilities ranged from .85 to .88. In the estimated structural model of the e-SERVEQUAL factors, the system availability was found to have direct and positive effect on e-loyalty, whereas efficiency had a negative effect on e-loyalty for apparel online shopping. However, fulfillment was not a significant predictor for explaining consequences of E-SERVQUAL for apparel online shopping. This finding implies that perceived service quality of system available was likely to increase customer satisfaction for apparel online shopping. However, it was not supported that e-loyalty was determined by service quality, because service quality has an indirect effect on e-loyalty (i.e., repurchase intention) by mediating effect of value or satisfaction in the context of online shopping for apparel. In addition, both compensation and responsiveness were found to have a significant impact on customer satisfaction, which influenced e-loyalty for apparel online shopping. Thus, there was significant indirect effect of compensation and responsiveness on e-loyalty. This suggests that the recovery-specific service factors play an important role in maximizing customer satisfaction levels and then maintaining customer loyalty to the online shopping site for apparel. The findings have both managerial and research implications. Fashion marketers can establish long-term relationship with their customers based on continuously measuring customer perceptions for recovery-related service quality, such as quick responses to problem and returns, and compensation for customers' problem after their purchases. In order to maintain e-loyalty, recovery services play an important role in the first choice websites for consumers to purchase clothing. Given that online consumers may shop anywhere, a marketing strategy for improving competitive advantages is to provide better service quality, maximize satisfaction, and turn to creating customers' e-loyalty for apparel online shopping. From a researcher's perspective, there are some limitations of this research that should be considered when interpreting its findings. For future research, findings provide a basis for the further study of this important topic along both theoretical and empirical dimensions. Based on the findings, more comprehensive models for predicting E-SERVQUAL's consequences can be developed and tested. For global fashion marketing, this study can expand to a cross-cultural approach into e-service quality for apparel by including multinational samples.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.69-84
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• 2002

The purpose of this study was to develope and test the structural model for depression in middle-aged women. A hypothetical model was constructed on the basis of previous studies and a review of literatures. The conceptual framework was built around eight constructs. Exogenous variables included in this model were volunteer activity, health status & economic status. Endogenous variables were meaning of life, self-esteem, perceived life stress & depression. Empirical data for testing the hypothetical model was collected using a self-report questionnaire from 216 middle-aged women in Pusan City. The Data was collected from May to June, 1999. Reliability of the seven instruments tested with Cronbach's alpha was ranged from .86-.94. For the data analysis, SPSS 7.5 WIN Program and LISREL 8.12 WIN Program were used for descriptive statistics and covariance structural analysis. The results of covariance structure analysis were as follows: 1. The hypothetical model showed a good fit with the empirical data. [$x^2$/df=2.87(p=.72), GFI=1.00, AGFI=.98, RMSR=.025, NFI=.99, standardized residuals ($-1.44{\sim}1.44$)]. 2. To heighten for the parsimony and fitness of the model, a modified model was constructed by deleting according to the criteria of statistical significance and meaning. 3. The modified model also showed a good fit with the data. [$x^2$=5.26(01=7,p=.63), GFI=.99, AGFl=.97, RMSR=.025, NFI=.99, standardized reslduals ($-1.50{\sim}1.45$)] Results of the testing of the hypothesis were as follows : 1. Self-esteem(${\beta}_{42}$=-.48, t=-5.64) had a negative and perceived life stress(${\beta}_{43}$=.20, t=3.21)had a positive direct effect on depression. Meaning of life had a negative direct(${\beta}_{41}$=-.17, t=-2.19) and a negative indirect effect through self-esteem on depression. Volunteer activity had a negative indirect effect through meaning of life, meaning of life and self-esteem on depression. Health status had a negative direct and a negative indirect effect through meaning of life, meaning of life and self-esteem on depression. Economic status had a negative indirect effect through perceived life stress on depression. Self-esteem was the most significant variable. 2. Volunteer activity(${\gamma}_{11}$=.43, t=6.78) and health status(${\gamma}_{12}$=.35, t=4.88) had positive direct effect on meaning of life. 3. Meaning of life(${\beta}_{21}$=.50, t=6.53) had a positive direct effect on self-esteem. Volunteer activity had a positive indirect effect through meaning of life on self-esteem. Health status had a positive direct(${\gamma}_{22}$=.18, t=2.23) and a indirect effect through meaning of life on self-esteem. Meaning of life was the most significant variable. 4. Economic status (${\gamma}_{33}$=-.44, t값=-6.01) had a positive direct effect on perceived life stress. The results of this study showed that self-esteem had the most significant direct effect on depression. Meaning of life and health status had significant direct effect on this self-esteem. Volunteer activity and health status had direct effect on meaning of life. The results of this study suggested that there is a need to develope intervention to promote degree of self-esteem and alleviate degree of depression in middle-aged women.

• Sleep Medicine and Psychophysiology
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.57-65
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• 1997

As jet lag of modern travel continues to spread, there has been an exponential growth in popular explanations of jet lag and recommendations for curing it. Some of this attention are misdirected, and many of those suggested solutions are misinformed. The author reviewed the basic science of jet lag and its practical outcome. The jet lag symptoms stemed from several factors, including high-altitude flying, lag effect, and sleep loss before departure and on the aircraft, especially during night flight. Jet lag has three major components; including external de synchronization, internal desynchronization, and sleep loss. Although external de synchronization is the major culprit, it is not at all uncommon for travelers to experience difficulty falling asleep or remaining asleep because of gastrointestinal distress, uncooperative bladders, or nagging headaches. Such unwanted intrusions most likely to reflect the general influence of internal desynchronization. From the free-running subjects, the data has revealed that sleep tendency, sleepiness, the spontaneous duration of sleep, and REM sleep propensity, each varied markedly with the endogenous circadian phase of the temperature cycle, despite the facts that the average period of the sleep-wake cycle is different from that of the temperature cycle under these conditions. However, whereas the first ocurrence of slow wave sleep is usually associated with a fall in temperature, the amount of SWS is determined primarily by the length of prior wakefulness and not by circadian phase. Another factor to be considered for flight in either direction is the amount of prior sleep loss or time awake. An increase in sleep loss or time awake would be expected to reduce initial sleep latency and enhance the amount of SWS. By combining what we now know about the circadian characteristics of sleep and homeostatic process, many of the diverse findings about sleep after transmeridian flight can be explained. The severity of jet lag is directly related to two major variables that determine the reaction of the circadian system to any transmeridian flight, eg., the direction of flight, and the number of time zones crossed. Remaining factor is individual differences in resynchmization. After a long flight, the circadian timing system and homeostatic process can combine with each other to produce a considerable reduction in well-being. The author suggested that by being exposed to local zeit-gebers and by being awake sufficient to get sleep until the night, sleep improves rapidly with resynchronization following time zone change.