International Journal of Arts and Sciences 3(7): 127 - 143 (2010) CD-ROM. ISSN: 1944-6934 © InternationalJournal.org E-Service Quality: A Conceptual Model Jukka Ojasalo, Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Finland Abstract. The purpose of this article is to examine the theoretical foundations of e-service quality and develop a conceptual model for it. Even though e-service quality has increasingly attracted the attention of researchers, the existing research in this area is mostly focused on identifying quality dimensions of e-services without any deeper attention to the mechanism behind the quality perception. There is a clear need for a model which integrates both the cognitive mechanism behind quality perception as well as quality dimensions relevant in the context of e-services. The present article responds to this need by suggesting a conceptual model for this purpose. This article is based on extensive literature analysis. The proposed conceptual model of e-service quality integrates characteristics common to both traditional and e-services, distinctive characteristics of e-services, relevant e-service quality dimensions, and disconfirmation mechanism on which service quality perception is based. Keywords. E-service, quality, electronic commerce, service quality 1. Introduction The concept of e-service has been used increasingly by researchers and practitioners from the beginning of 2000. E-service can be defined as the electronic provision of services to customers (Saanen, Sol & Verbraeck, 1999). E-service is a Web-based service delivered through the Internet (Reynolds, 2000; Sara, 2000). According to Surjadjaja, Ghosh & Anthony (2003), an e-service operation is one where all or part of the interaction between the service provider and the customer is conducted through the Internet. An e-service has a ‘front-end’ Web-based systems and ‘back-end’ information systems. It also includes the interface between them, which has an important role in the e-service (Hopker and Hole, 2001). There are some key differences between traditional and e-services. Also, there are differences between self-service and e-service. The differences between traditional and e-services are as follows (Surjadjaja, Ghosh & Anthony, 2003). In a traditional service, only people —the employees— are involved in the interface of the service encounter. In e-service, on the other hand, ICT or employees are involved in the interface, mediated by the Internet. Moreover, during an e-service encounter, the customers are restricted to hearing and viewing whereas, in traditional services, customers can experience the service by using all their senses. Furthermore, traditional service is restricted by distance and opening hours, whereas e- service has substantially removed these barriers. The differences between self-service and e- service relate to the following aspects (ibid.). In self-service operations, the customer has to go to ICT centre, for example cash point, to receive the service. In e-service, a customer can conveniently receive the service through the Internet at home or other places. E-service is more flexible than self-service which is constrained by the location. Also, in self-service, the