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ABSTRACT
The paper presents WebQual(TM), a Web site quality measure with 12 dimensions. Development was based on an extensive literature review, and interviews with Web designers and Web visitors. The instrument was refined using two successive samples, and the validity of the final instrument was tested with a third confirmatory sample.
INTRODUCTION
There does not exist a comprehensive instrument specifically designed to focus on the consumer's perception of Web site quality in the context of predicting the behavior of reuse of the site. This paper seeks to address that gap, utilizing as a general underlying model the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) (Ajzen et al. 1980; Fishbein et al. 1975), and particularly the TRA as applied to information technology utilization in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis et al. 1989).
The Theory of Reasoned Action (Ajzen et al. 1980; Fishbein et al. 1975) states that individuals' behavior (in this case revisiting or purchasing from a Web site) can be predicted from their intentions, which can be predicted from their attitudes about the behavior and subjective norms. Following the chain of prediction further back, attitudes can be predicted from an individual's beliefs about the consequences of the behavior. Subjective norms can be predicted by knowing whether significant other individuals think the behavior should or should not be done. TRA is a very general theory, and as such does not specify what specific beliefs would be pertinent in a particular situation.
Davis (1989) applied TRA to a class of behaviors that can be loosely defined as "using computer technologies," and produced a Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Davis argues that for the behavior of "using computer technologies," two particular beliefs are predominant in predicting behavior: perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. We also believe that there may be multiple distinct dimensions of ease of use and of usefulness, as well as other categories of beliefs such as "entertainment" that together predict intentions to reuse a Web site. Determining the relevant specific dimensions of WebQual, and developing an effective instrument to measure those is the subject of the rest of the paper.
There are many frameworks for thinking about measurement validity. Bagozzi (1980) and Bagozzi and Phillips (1982) are used in this paper due to their...